US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an order which eased regulations for private space companies, a move that is going to benefit Elon Musk in a major way. The new order says that the US transportation secretary will cut or speed up environmental checks for launch licenses given by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It also asks for the removal of “outdated or overly strict” rules for rockets and spacecraft reentry.
What does the new order say?
According to Reuters, the order says that the slow approval processes are stopping US companies from leading the world in space innovation. Although the US President and tech billionaire have been involved in public feud for months and while SpaceX was not named in the order, Elon Musk’s company is still expected to benefit the most because it launches more rockets than NASA, Pentagon, and other players combined. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin could also benefit from the relaxed rules.
Musk vs FAA
Musk has often complained that FAA checks, environmental reviews, and accident investigations have delayed the testing of SpaceX’s Starship rocket in South Texas.
He sees FAA rules as slowing down SpaceX’s way of working, which reportedly takes more risks compared to older aerospace companies, the Reuters report said. SpaceX often tests rockets until they fail, then fixes problems and tries again many times. This approach has sometimes clashed with the FAA’s job of protecting the environment while overseeing commercial spaceflights.
Earlier this year, Starship test flights were stopped for nearly two months after explosions scattered debris and disrupted airline routes. The FAA later increased the no-fly zone for planes near future launches.
Starship is a key part of SpaceX’s future plans, NASA’s moon mission, and eventual trips to Mars.