spacetoday.net: White House issues executive order on commercial space regulations

Posted: Sun, Aug 17, 2025, 11:30 AM ET (1530 GMT)
An executive order released by the White House Wednesday will reshape commercial space regulation. The order makes many changes to launch, spaceport and other regulations with the intent of “enabling a competitive launch marketplace and substantially increasing commercial space launch cadence and novel space activities” by 2030. The order directs the FAA to “reevaluate, amend, or rescind, as appropriate” the existing Part 450 launch and reentry licensing regulations that many in the industry have complained about. It would scale back environmental regulations involving launch and spaceport projects. It directs the Commerce Department to establish a mission authorization system for “novel space activities” not currently regulated by other agencies. The order makes some administrative changes, such as moving the Office of Space Commerce from NOAA to the office of the Secretary of Commerce. The executive order, widely expected for weeks, was praised by companies and industry groups, but other groups criticized the rollback of environmental regulations.