Trump orders relaxed rules for rocket launches, appearing to benefit Musk and Bezos [View all]

Source: The Guardian

Wed 13 Aug 2025 20.50 EDT
Last modified on Wed 13 Aug 2025 20.51 EDT


Donald Trump is looking to relax environmental rules for commercial spaceship companies. In an executive order titled “enabling competition in the commercial space industry” that he signed on Wednesday, he said it’s imperative to national security that the private rocket-ship industry increase launches “substantially” by 2030.

That would mean, according to the executive order, that those companies may be able to forgo the environmental reviews that are required under the National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa). Private space companies are required to get launch permits from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). And, as part of that process, companies are subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Sean Duffy, the US secretary of transportation, which oversees the FAA, called Trump’s executive order “visionary”. The FAA has faced criticism from space companies for taking too long to review launch permits while environmental groups have lambasted the agency for not using Nepa reviews to require more protections at launch sites.

These environmental reviews are required because rocket launches and landings can be massively disruptive to local towns and residents, along with the natural surroundings. Exhaust, smoke plumes and sonic booms created at launch can injure and kill endangered species, and detritus from exploded rocket parts returning to Earth can harm fish and marine animals with hazardous material spills, fuel slicks and falling objects.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/13/trump-order-rocket-launches-musk-bezos