President Donald Trump has enacted an executive order aimed at dismantling environmental protection regulations for commercial space enterprises. In the future, SpaceX and Blue Origin may have less need to heavily assess the environmental effects of their rocket launches.
Signed on Wednesday, Trump’s executive order seeks to “enhance American greatness in space” by promoting competitiveness within the space launch sector. The government intends to “streamline” permit approvals for U.S.-based space firms and “eliminate or expedite… environmental reviews for, and other obstacles to the granting of, launch and reentry licenses and permits.”
At present, private space firms are required to secure a license from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prior to any launch or reentry occurring within the nation or by a citizen. The FAA conducts an environmental assessment following the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as part of this procedure.
This evaluation assesses the proposed activity’s environmental effects across 14 categories, including air quality, noise, hazardous materials or pollutants, water resources, and biological resources such as plants and wildlife. Socioeconomic issues, environmental justice concerns, and risks to children’s environmental health and safety are also taken into account.
With the introduction of the new executive order, such assessments may soon be excluded from the private space flight licensing process. Trump indicated that the removal of regulations is designed to “significantly” enhance the frequency of both rocket launches and innovative space activities by 2030.
Innovative space activities refer to private missions that are not directly governed by the existing U.S. regulatory framework. The framework currently addresses private remote-sensing systems, launch and reentry, and non-federal uses of the radio frequency spectrum. Activities like commercial human spaceflight, mining or manufacturing in space, and the removal of orbital debris fall under the category of innovative.
The removal of environmental considerations when granting rocket launch licenses raises concerns, particularly since some companies have not strictly followed current regulations. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has experienced substantial backlash from environmental advocates, who argue that operations at its Texas launch site are harming the local environment and disturbing the nests of at-risk shorebirds. The multi-billion dollar company faced a mere $150,000 fine last year for violating environmental laws by inundating the surrounding ecosystem with thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater.