On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump enacted an executive order that relaxes regulations for the private space sector, which includes the removal of certain environmental assessments, a decision likely to be welcomed by his former advisor, Elon Musk.
The executive order, which aims to “substantially” boost the frequency of space launches within the United States, has been labeled as “reckless” by an environmental organization. Since his return to the White House in January, Trump has promoted various space missions, including plans to send humans to both the Moon and Mars.
The missions to the Moon and Mars are intended to utilize the enormous Starship rocket developed by Musk’s private company, SpaceX.
Nevertheless, Starship has encountered multiple challenges, with its most recent routine test culminating in a dramatic explosion in June.
SpaceX leads the global launch industry, with its range of rockets successfully launching over 130 times last year, and this figure is expected to increase following Trump’s executive order.
The order states, “It is the policy of the United States to enhance American greatness in space by enabling a competitive launch marketplace and substantially increasing commercial space launch cadence” by the year 2030.
This alteration may significantly benefit Musk, who has consistently pushed for the deregulation of the space sector. The world’s wealthiest individual was once a close advisor to Trump before their relationship soured dramatically in July.
Additionally, the executive order instructed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy – who was present at the signing and currently serves as NASA’s administrator – to “eliminate or expedite the Department of Transportation’s environmental reviews” for launches.
SpaceX has faced ongoing criticism regarding the environmental consequences at the launch sites of Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built.
The US-based nonprofit organization Center for Biological Diversity has stated that Trump’s new executive order “paves the way for the massive destruction of protected plants and animals.”
“This irresponsible directive endangers both individuals and wildlife due to private enterprises launching massive rockets that frequently detonate and cause destruction in nearby regions,” stated Jared Margolis from the center in an official statement.
Musk’s aspirations for establishing a colony on Mars depend on the successful operation of Starship, and SpaceX is confident that its philosophy of “fail fast, learn fast” will ultimately yield positive results.
In early May, the Federal Aviation Administration authorized a rise in the number of annual Starship rocket launches from five to 25, asserting that this increased frequency would not negatively impact the environment.
