President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing agencies to slash red tape in commercial space. The DOT must streamline launch licensing, speed up environmental reviews, and fast-track spaceport development, while the Commerce Department will create a new framework for “novel” space activities like in-orbit refueling and manufacturing.
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The order also dismissed all members of the FAA’s long-standing Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee. Industry groups, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, applauded the move, but environmental advocates condemned it as “reckless,” warning it undermines protections against harmful impacts.
