The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing changes intended to speed up the approval process for commercial rocket launches, spacecraft reentries, and the operation of launch and reentry sites.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the proposal on Tuesday which would give the agency greater flexibility to waive certain environmental and natural-resource requirements when reviewing commercial space licenses and permits. The FAA said the changes are aimed at eliminating duplicative reviews and reducing delays as the commercial space industry continues to expand.
Under the proposal, the FAA could waive requirements associated with 13 federal laws for certain applications. Those include the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, portions of the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act.
The agency said requirements intended to protect public health and safety, property, national security and U.S. foreign policy would remain in place.
The proposed changes come as the number of commercial space operations continues to climb. According to the FAA, the agency authorized 204 commercial space operations in fiscal 2025. The FAA forecasts that annual operations could increase from 214 this year to 507 by 2036, with as many as 4,288 operations expected over the next 10 years.
“America won the first Space Race, and we can do it again— but only if we get government red tape out of the way. That’s why President Trump has charged USDOT with unlocking the final frontier and re-establishing the United States’ dominance in space,” said Duffy.
The FAA will accept public comments on the proposed rule for 30 days before reviewing the feedback and deciding whether to issue a final rule.
Long over due! Nearly all of the environmental acts refer to things on the Earth; not in space! Anywhere air does not exist for plants and animals, the environmental rules do not apply! Nothing could be more clear!