President Trump issued Executive Order 14335, “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry” on Aug. 13, 2025. The EO frames commercial space as a national-competitiveness priority, seeking to “substantially increase” launch cadence and novel space activities by 2030 via streamlined licensing, permitting, and environmental reviews. The EO builds on the administration’s focus on commercial-centered space development and deregulation efforts, but couples them with specific agency deliverables and inter-agency coordination.

The Order addresses longstanding industry concerns over the FAA’s part 450 launch and reentry licensing rules, including a directive to the Secretary of Transportation, consulting with the chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, to “eliminate or expedite” environmental reviews not required by law. The EO directs the Secretary to modernize and streamline the rules for the launch and reentry of commercial vehicles; changes may include amending or rescinding parts of the regulation to relieve regulatory burdens on launch or reentry vehicles equipped with modern safety systems.

The EO directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a position for an advisor who will counsel the Secretary on innovation and deregulation in the commercial space transport industry. The Secretary of Commerce is directed to elevate the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) directly into the Secretary’s office, which reflects longstanding industry preference for stronger OSC authority as well as a streamlined regulatory review process.

The EO confronts the longstanding and much-discussed question of novel space activity authorization for space activities that do not neatly fall under existing regulatory regimes (e.g., launch and reentry under the FAA, remote sensing under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), or spectrum management under the Federal Communications Commission (FCC))—in other words, any number of innovative commercial activities that may unfold after launch. Within 150 days of the Order, the Secretary of Commerce is directed to propose a new process for individualized mission authorizations for activities that “require authorization and continuing supervision” from the member states under the Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Regulatory certainty and streamlining may promote American space superiority. The Order calls for inter-agency feedback on the authorization process, a definitive timeline for the grant and denial of authorizations, and clear and consistent requirements for applicants. However, additional congressional action may be necessary to authorize this new regulatory process, suggesting that full implementation may not occur for months or even years.