Trump Spurs Competition in Commercial Space Industry

PROMOTING COMMERCIAL SPACE INNOVATION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to streamline regulations and foster a competitive commercial space industry, ensuring the United States maintains its leading role in the commercial use of space.

• The Order directs the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, to eliminate or expedite environmental reviews for launch and reentry licenses and permits.
• It also directs the Secretary of Transportation to review regulatory requirements to eliminate outdated, redundant, or overly restrictive rules for launch and reentry vehicles.
• The Order instructs the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Administrator of NASA, to evaluate State compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) and whether States are hindering spaceport infrastructure development under the CZMA, or otherwise placing limitations on spaceport development that are inconsistent with Federal law.
• It directs the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Administrator of NASA to align their review processes to eliminate duplicative regulations and expedite spaceport development.
• The Order mandates the creation of a streamlined process for authorizing novel space activities (missions not clearly or straightforwardly governed by existing regulatory frameworks) with the goal of enabling American space competitiveness and superiority in new space-based industries.
• The Order establishes a dedicated position in the Department of Transportation to advise on fostering innovation and deregulation in the commercial space industry, and directs the appointment of an Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation within the Federal Aviation Administration to drive regulatory reform.

STRENGTHENING COMPETITION IN THE INDUSTRY: It is imperative that new space-based industries, space exploration capabilities, and cutting-edge defense systems are pioneered in America rather than by our adversaries.

• The commercial space industry drives economic growth, supports cutting-edge technology, and advances Federal space exploration objectives.
• Inefficient permitting processes discourage investment and innovation, limiting the ability of U.S. companies to lead in global space markets. Overly complex environmental and other licensing and permitting regulations slow down commercial space launches and infrastructure development, and benefit entrenched incumbents (who can afford to bear the expense of regulatory compliance) over new market entrants (who cannot).
• Space flights affected are not just human space flights; this regulatory regime hampers satellites, aerospace and defense technology development, and manufacturing and production activities conducted in space, and discourages the development of other space-based industries.
• The United States risks losing its competitive edge in these industries (and the benefits of technologies developed in connection with them) if regulatory barriers prevent rapid innovation and expansion in the space sector.

MAKING AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN SPACE GREAT AGAIN: President Trump is building on his first term's transformative actions in the space industry to maintain U.S. leadership in space.

• President Trump spearheaded the establishment of the Space Force, the first new branch of the Armed Forces since the creation of the Air Force more than 70 years ago.
  • The Space Force is critical to preparing the Department of Defense for evolving warfighting conditions and expanding our capabilities.
• President Trump released seven Space Policy Directives instructing NASA to return American astronauts to the Moon, reform our Nation's commercial space regulatory framework, establish cybersecurity principles for space systems, and much more.
• In 2020, for the first time ever, a commercial company sent humans into orbit as part of NASA's Commercial Crew program.
• In his first remarks of his second term, President Trump vowed to send astronauts to Mars.
• This is the latest deregulatory action that President Trump has authorized, building on NEPA reform, the elimination of burdensome DEI requirements, and other complicated rules that increase the cost of operating businesses that benefit Americans.