US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ease regulations for space companies launching rockets and carrying out missions.
The directive, called Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry, asks federal agencies including the US Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to speed up the review process for space flight licences and remove outdated regulations.
It also asks the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to “eliminate or expedite” environmental reviews for launch and re-entry licences and permits. Such regulations have proven to be a challenge for billionaire Elon Musk and his SpaceX company.
The Trump administration said the goal of the executive order, signed on Wednesday, was to make the US a more competitive player in the global space industry.
“By slashing red tape tying up spaceport construction, streamlining launch licences so they can occur at scale and creating high-level space positions in government, we can unleash the next wave of innovation,” said Mr Duffy, who also serves as acting Nasa administrator. “At Nasa, this means continuing to work with commercial space companies and improving our spaceports’ ability to launch."
Fast track to launch
The Trump administration has historically advocated reducing regulatory barriers and expediting approval processes, especially for industries it considers critical to the country, including as aerospace and defence.
Last year, Mr Musk threatened to sue the FAA after it proposed issuing $633,009 worth of penalties to SpaceX for failing to follow licence requirements during two of its launches in 2023.
Despite the row between Mr Trump and Mr Musk, SpaceX could benefit most from the executive order, with plans to test its deep-space rocket Starship more frequently.
Earlier this year, SpaceX was awarded permission by the FAA to increase launches of the powerful rocket to 25 each year. The directive would also benefit start-ups developing launch technology.
Environmental concerns
The order also led to opposition from environmental groups, who warned it could weaken protection for wildlife near launch sites.
Jared Margolis, of the Centre for Biological Diversity, said the directive “paves the way for the massive destruction of protected plants and animals". It called the move reckless and said it "puts people and wildlife at risk from private companies launching giant rockets that often explode and wreak devastation on surrounding areas".
Race with China
Mr Trump's efforts to boost the private space industry would also help the country in the race to the return to the Moon, amid competition form countries including China.
Nasa relies on space companies to achieve the goals of its Artemis Moon programme and broader ambitions in the sector.
The agency's plan to send astronauts to the lunar language for the first time since the Apollo era will only be possible when SpaceX completes its Starship human landing system. The mission is scheduled to take place on 2027.
China also has plans for a human landing mission on the Moon before 2030. Last week, its space agency completed a critical landing and take-off test of its crewed lunar lander.
