Less red tape
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ease regulations for commercial spaceflights, in a major win for the industry that has long called for cutting red tape. The White House said the order was aimed at enabling a competitive launch marketplace, and ramping up launches and novel space activities by 2030.
Streamlining rules: "Inefficient permitting processes discourage investment and innovation, limiting the ability of U.S. companies to lead in global space markets," the White House said. The executive order directs the transportation secretary to eliminate or expedite environmental reviews for launch and reentry licenses and permits. The order calls for the elimination of "outdated or overly restrictive rules" and the evaluation of whether states are hindering spaceport infrastructure development, among other directives.
Industry win: "With these actions, it is clear that President Trump is serious about maintaining U.S. dominance in space in the face of growing international competition, especially from China," said Dave Cavossa, president of trade group Commercial Space Federation. To note, the U.S. and China are the only two countries to have independent space forces. The space industry - including Elon Musk, SpaceX ( SPACE) CEO and Trump's on-again, off-again ally - had long criticized regulatory barriers slowing down space operations.
Companies to watch: SpaceX stands to gain the most from Trump's executive order, as it is currently the leading space company for launches. Other notable space companies include Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin ( BORGN), Virgin Galactic ( SPCE), Rocket Lab ( RKLB), Firefly Aerospace ( FLY), and United Launch Alliance [a joint venture between Lockheed Martin ( LMT) and Boeing ( BA)].
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