Overview

• The order directs Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to eliminate or expedite NEPA environmental reviews for FAA launch and reentry licenses and to reevaluate rules such as Part 450.
• It elevates the Office of Space Commerce within the Commerce Department and makes the head of the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation a political appointee.
• U.S. launch firms, particularly SpaceX—which recently won FAA approval for up to 25 Starship launches per year—praised the move as key to boosting market competitiveness.
• Environmental groups including the Center for Biological Diversity denounced the order as reckless and have signaled intentions to sue to preserve existing environmental review requirements.
• The actual pace of regulatory change will depend on how agencies implement the directive and whether courts uphold expedited processes against legal challenges.