- The White House has released a memo on space transportation policy
- The policy targets more than 1,000 annual launches and reentries by 2030
- Memo generally requires government payloads to launch on U.S.-manufactured vehicles
President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum establishing a national space transportation policy directing federal agencies to expand the country’s launch, reentry and industrial base capabilities in support of commercial and government space missions.
The White House said Thursday the policy supersedes a 2013 space transportation directive and directs more than a dozen federal agencies to carry out coordinated actions over the coming months.
What Are the Priorities for Space Launch & Reentry Infrastructure?
The memorandum directs the DOW secretary and the NASA administrator to operate federal launch and reentry ranges in a transparent manner that accommodates government and non-government users. Related directives include:
- Co-development of launch and reentry infrastructure through leases, private investment and public-private partnerships
- Expedited permitting and environmental review for launch and reentry facilities
- Development of fair and transparent cost recovery policies for shared services and infrastructure
- Range scheduling criteria and regularly published range schedules to maximize capacity for commercial users
- Identification of potential new launch site locations by the secretary of transportation within 180 days
- Spectrum access assurances from the secretary of commerce and the Federal Communications Commission
- Evaluation of barriers to rapid, responsive access to space, including the ability to support launch needs within 48 hours
- Identification of federal lands for an additional designated reentry site by the secretary of the interior within 90 days
What Does the Memo Say About the Space Transportation Industrial Base & Market Access?
The memorandum calls for the assistant to the president for science and technology to lead development of a space transportation industrial base strategy within 180 days. The strategy is intended to maintain a competitive and resilient domestic launch industry, support workforce development and military transition pathways, and undergo review every two years.
On market access, the policy directs the secretaries of state and commerce to periodically update export policies promoting U.S. space transportation capabilities abroad, protecting intellectual property and expanding foreign sales and co-investment opportunities. It also calls for coordinated updates to export controls to support transfers of space transportation capabilities to allies and partners.
What Other Provisions Are Included in the Memorandum?
On U.S. government space transportation, the memorandum generally requires government payloads to launch on U.S.-manufactured vehicles, with limited exceptions for no-exchange-of-funds international agreements, secondary science payloads and hosted payload arrangements. It directs the DOW secretary and the NASA administrator to favor commercial launch services, maintain multiple avenues for deploying government payloads and pursue in-space transportation capabilities such as on-orbit servicing. NASA is also directed to develop a lunar logistics architecture and explore commercial approaches to robotic and human missions to Mars.
On international collaboration, the policy directs the assistant to the president for science and technology and the assistant to the president for national security affairs to review requests to launch or reenter foreign space vehicles in the U.S. on a case-by-case basis, issuing recommendations within 60 days. Reviews are to weigh foreign policy and national security interests, effects on the domestic space industrial base, foreign investment, liability and indemnification, and effects on federal launch site availability.
How Does the Memo Build on Earlier Space Policy Efforts?
The memorandum extends a series of measures the administration has taken to strengthen the U.S. space posture. In December, the White House issued an executive order targeting a 2028 Moon landing, setting priorities for lunar exploration and space security. That order followed an earlier executive order aimed at promoting a more competitive commercial space industry, which directed agencies to streamline licensing and accelerate environmental reviews for launch and reentry operations.
Building on that directive, the Federal Aviation Administration proposed a rule in July to waive requirements under 13 statutes for commercial space launch site licenses, reentry site licenses, experimental permits and launch or reentry vehicle licenses, aiming to reduce regulatory burden for applicants.
