President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at loosening rules on commercial rocket launches and spaceport development, a move expected to benefit Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The order calls for speeding up or eliminating environmental reviews for rocket launches and rolling back licensing regulations for launch vehicles. It also directs a review of state and local restrictions on spaceport construction and aims to accelerate environmental and administrative approvals for launch infrastructure.
“Ensuring that United States operators can efficiently launch, conduct missions in space, and reenter United States airspace is critical to economic growth, national security, and accomplishing Federal space objectives,” the order states. It seeks to significantly expand commercial space launches and “novel space activities” by the end of the decade.
The order is likely to boost SpaceX, which has already conducted over 100 launches this year, solidifying its position as a leader in the commercial space industry.
