Trump orders cull of regulations governing commercial rocket launches

In a significant shift for the commercial space industry, President Donald Trump has enacted an executive order aimed at streamlining regulations surrounding rocket launches and reentries. This directive, issued on Wednesday, instructs federal agencies to either eliminate or accelerate environmental assessments necessary for obtaining launch and reentry licenses. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which operates under the Department of Transportation (DOT), is responsible for granting these crucial licenses while ensuring public safety and compliance with environmental regulations. This deregulation initiative is expected to be particularly beneficial for companies like SpaceX, founded by former Trump ally Elon Musk, which is a dominant player in the commercial launch sector. Trump has tasked Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who concurrently serves as acting NASA administrator, with utilizing all available powers to expedite the environmental review process for these licenses. The order specifies that Duffy should collaborate with the chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and adhere to existing laws while implementing these changes. Additionally, the executive order calls for a review of safety regulations established during Trump’s first term, known as Part 450, which came into effect in 2021. Many within the space industry argue that these regulations are overly complex and contribute to delays in the licensing process. The order also aims to eliminate redundant reviews for spaceport development, particularly at federally operated launch sites such as Cape Canaveral in Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Moreover, the Trump administration is planning to elevate the role of the head of the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation to a political appointee, moving away from a career civil servant model. To further enhance the commercial spaceflight sector, Duffy will appoint a deregulation advisor within the DOT, and the Office of Space Commerce will gain increased prominence within the Commerce Department. Reports of this executive order began circulating last month, indicating a strong push from the Trump administration to reduce regulatory barriers in the pursuit of commercial space exploration.