Trump aims to foster space industry by cutting environmental regulation
Experts expect the new executive order to benefit SpaceX, as well as its competitors.
Audrey Decker | August 15, 2025
The U.S. government must reduce environmental and other regulations to make it easier for commercial space companies to launch rockets, expand launch facilities, and perform "novel” space activities, according to a new executive order.
"It is the policy of the United States to enhance American greatness in space by enabling a competitive launch marketplace and substantially increasing commercial space launch cadence and novel space activities by 2030," says the order, signed Wednesday by President Donald Trump.
Specifically, the order will “eliminate or expedite” environmental reviews for launch and re-entry licenses and permits and establish “exclusions” to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA.
The order would also “reevaluate, amend, or rescind” regulations under the Federal Aviation Authority’s Part 450 rules, which govern safety requirements for launch and re-entry operations but are widely viewed as too restrictive by commercial launch companies.
https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2025/08/trump-order-seeks-ease-regulation-boost-space-launches/407499/?oref=d1-featured-river-top
