US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appointed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to lead “Project Meridian,” a new 120-day initiative tasked with identifying the technologies and capabilities required for future military dominance.
Musk will co-direct the effort alongside Anduril Industries co-founder Palmer Luckey and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, under the oversight of Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael.
The appointment marks Musk’s return to government work following his tenure heading the Department of Government Efficiency.
Project Meridian
Washington said that Project Meridian will study emerging battlefields ranging from subterranean environments to cislunar space.
The panel will focus on conceptualizing and fielding next-generation systems, including artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous weapons, directed energy, and biotechnology.
The initiative will draw input from private technologists, business executives, and national security experts.
An insider told The New York Times that non-profit research organization Mitre Corporation, operating in Virginia and Massachusetts, will oversee the group’s analysis to apply technical evaluation and manage potential conflicts of interest given SpaceX’s multi-billion-dollar defense contracts.
The panel is scheduled to submit its final report and recommendations to the Pentagon by late January 2027.
“To maintain global dominance, the United States must anticipate future operational environments and act decisively to develop the tools to dominate in them,” Hegseth stated in a memorandum outlining the effort.