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President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at reducing regulations for the private space sector, including the elimination of some environmental assessments. This move is expected to be welcomed by Elon Musk, who has long advocated for deregulating the industry. The order states that its goal is to significantly boost the number of space launches within the U.S. by 2030, endeavoring to “substantially” increase commercial space activity.
Environmental groups, however, have criticized the order as “reckless,” pointing out potential risks to protected ecosystems and wildlife. Since re-entering the White House in January, Trump has promoted multiple ambitious space initiatives, including missions to the Moon and Mars. These missions are planned to be launched aboard SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket.
Starship has faced setbacks, including a fiery failure during a routine test in June. Despite the challenges, SpaceX continues to dominate the global launch market, with over 130 launches last year across various rocket sizes. This number is likely to increase following Trump’s new policy.
The executive order emphasizes enhancing U.S. space leadership through fostering a competitive launch environment and significantly increasing commercial launch frequency. It also directs the Transportation Secretary—who is also NASA’s administrator—to streamline the environmental review process for space launches.
Critics, including the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, argue that the deregulation could lead to severe environmental damage, threatening protected plants and animals. Jared Margolis, a representative of the organization, warned that the policy “puts people and wildlife at risk” due to the dangers inherent in launching large rockets, which can sometimes explode and cause destruction.
Musk’s vision of colonizing Mars hinges on Starship’s success, with SpaceX embracing a “fail fast, learn fast” approach. Federal authorities approved increasing the number of annual Starship launches from five to 25 earlier this year, asserting that the surge would not harm the environment.
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