The Trump administration plans to "unleash" pioneers in private industry as the U.S. seeks "to dominate the space domain," War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday.

Speaking at Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket factory in Merritt Island, Florida, just south of the Kennedy Space Center, Hegseth praised American aerospace workers and outlined an aggressive vision for U.S. space and national security policy under President Donald Trump.

The administration has pushed to accelerate military readiness, rebuild the defense industrial base, and counter growing threats from China, Iran, and other adversaries.

Hegseth told employees that the Department of War is partnering with "the greatest companies in America" to ensure the U.S. maintains superiority in what he called "the ultimate high ground."

"What you're building here is a core function of the arsenal of freedom," Hegseth said, pointing to Blue Origin's New Shepard launch vehicle and the Blue Moon lunar lander.

He said private industry innovation is essential to equipping warfighters "at the tip of the spear" with cutting-edge capabilities.

Hegseth contrasted the Trump administration's approach with what he described as failures of the previous administration, accusing it of outsourcing critical capabilities, tolerating bloated defense contracts, and allowing adversaries to challenge American strength.

"Those days are over," he said. "Urgency matters. American strength has to partner with American manufacturing. If you don't have both, you don't have a free country."

The secretary said Trump has made space dominance a top priority, citing the creation of the Space Force in 2019 and renewed investment in space-based defense systems.

Hegseth highlighted funding from the "one big beautiful bill," which he said includes $150 billion for defense modernization and $25 billion for the proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense system.

That system, Hegseth said, would rely heavily on space-based sensors and interceptors to detect and neutralize threats before they reach U.S. soil, establishing what he called "total orbital supremacy."

The remarks come as Blue Origin shifts its focus toward major NASA missions, including the Artemis program aimed at returning astronauts to the moon.

According to The New York Times, the company recently announced it would pause launches of its New Shepard rocket to concentrate on developing lunar landers and other capabilities critical to NASA's long-term goals.

Hegseth praised that pivot, arguing that large-scale, high-speed manufacturing — not space tourism — is what the country needs most right now.

"No more business as usual," he said. "We will unleash our companies, unleash industry, unleash the competitive spirit that allows America to come out on top."

He concluded by telling workers that their efforts are central to national security and deterrence, adding that under Trump, "the golden age of American dominance is only just beginning."

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