Satellites’ key role in U.S. airstrikes Iranian nuclear sites

• Meanwhile, GPS satellites, maintained by the Space Force, were critical to guiding air-launched munitions and Tomahawk missiles fired from U.S. Navy ships, helping ensure that long-range weapons stayed on target in a potentially GPS-contested environment. U.S. officials have long worried about Iran’s electronic warfare capabilities, but there’s no public indication those efforts interfered with the weekend strike.

• After the bombs hit, space-based sensors remained on watch. Overhead systems capable of detecting infrared signatures offered missile warning coverage, including for the retaliatory strikes Iran launched Monday on U.S. military sites in Qatar. There were no reported casualties.

• Imaging satellites also delivered post-strike damage assessments, capturing cratered buildings and blackened terrain at nuclear-related sites.

The Space Force in coordination with other agencies also likely provided support to electronic warfare and cyber operations, using satellite-linked tools to disrupt or blind enemy air defenses in the minutes before the first strikes.

More broadly, Operation Midnight Hammer showcased multi-domain operations, in which space, air, cyber and land assets are tightly integrated into a single mission thread.

Some of the new money for the Space Force would come from the $25 billion the bill includes for the Golden Dome missile defense initiative, a space-based system that relies heavily on space capabilities. The program aims to modernize U.S. missile defense with advanced technologies, including space-based sensors and interceptors.

The legislation, often referred to as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” represents the core of Trump’s fiscal and defense agenda. A $150 billion boost in defense spending would push total U.S. military funding above the $1 trillion mark for the first time.

The infusion is designed to modernize the military, expand shipbuilding, invest in unmanned technologies and ramp up munitions and nuclear deterrence capabilities.

The bill faces significant pushback, primarily for making cuts to safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps. Critics argue the legislation functions as a “slush fund” for the Pentagon, creating uncertainty about its passage.

“There are a lot of other moving pieces associated with that bill that make it even more difficult to pass … So there is no guarantee that reconciliation will actually be signed into law,” Tierney said.

Perhaps most concerning for defense advocates is the apparent absence of contingency planning. If the reconciliation bill fails, it does not appear the administration has developed alternative approaches to increase defense spending, Tierney warned.

“They’re all on Plan A,” he said, noting that the administration and Republican lawmakers “have expended so much political capital to get this $150 billion through the wickets.”

Should the legislation fail, Tierney guessed that defense spending supporters would need to pursue either a supplemental appropriation or compel the White House to amend the 2026 base budget request to reflect higher spending levels. “That is a whole can of worms,” Tierney said.