Executive Order No. 14335. Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry

• Citation: 90 FR 40219
• Executive Order No.: 14335
• Published date: 19 August 2025
• Date: 13 August 2025
• Pages: 40219-40221
• Issuer: Executive Office of the President
• Section: Presidential Documents

Presidential Documents

40219

Federal Register

Vol. 90, No. 158

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Title 3—

The President

Executive Order 14335 of August 13, 2025

Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the

laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1. Purpose. In 1969, the United States landed the first humans

on the Moon. In the years since, premier space companies from around

the world have been drawn to launch rockets and satellites from the United

States, incentivized by its infrastructure and support for commercial space

activities. Americans are more prosperous because of the space research

and development occurring here.

It is imperative that we build on the far-reaching actions taken by my

Administration during my first term to ensure that new space-based indus-

tries, space exploration capabilities, and cutting-edge defense systems are

pioneered in America rather than by our adversaries. Ensuring that United

States operators can efficiently launch, conduct missions in space, and reenter

United States airspace is critical to economic growth, national security,

and accomplishing Federal space exploration objectives.

Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to enhance American

greatness in space by enabling a competitive launch marketplace and substan-

tially increasing commercial space launch cadence and novel space activities

by 2030. To accomplish this, the Federal Government will streamline com-

mercial license and permit approvals for United States-based operators.

Sec. 3. Reforming Regulatory Barriers to Commercial Launch and Reentry.

(a) The Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Chair of the

Council on Environmental Quality, shall, consistent with applicable law,

use all available authorities to eliminate or expedite the Department of

Transportation’s environmental reviews for, and other obstacles to the grant-

ing of, launch and reentry licenses and permits. Such measures shall include

the exercise of authority by the Secretary of Transportation under 51 U.S.C.

50905(b)(2)(C) as applicable; determining which Department of Transpor-

tation functions are not subject to the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA); and, as appropriate, establishing categorical exclusions under NEPA

(or relying on existing categorical exclusions) for launch and reentry licenses

and permits within certain parameters.

(b) The Secretary of Transportation shall reevaluate, amend, or rescind,

as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, the regulations at Part

450 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations. The Secretary’s evaluation,

amendment, or rescission shall specifically address:

(i) what regulatory requirements should be inapplicable for a launch or

reentry vehicle that possesses a flight termination system or automated

flight safety system;

(ii) what regulatory requirements should be inapplicable or waived for

hybrid launch or reentry vehicles that hold valid Federal Aviation Adminis-

tration airworthiness certificates;

(iii) whether to expand the conditions that demonstrate reliability for

a reentry vehicle, sufficient to protect against a high-consequence event

on reentry; and

(iv) whether other existing requirements are too attenuated to a vehicle’s

actual launch or reentry to warrant retention in Part 450.

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:42 Aug 18, 2025 Jkt 265001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4705 Sfmt 4790 E:\FR\FM\19AUE0.SGM 19AUE0

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with FR_PREZDOC0

40220

Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 158 / Tuesday, August 19, 2025 / Presidential Documents

(c) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Transportation

shall report to the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy a description

of the actions that have been or will be taken pursuant to subsection (b)

of this section.

Sec. 4. Reforming Regulatory Barriers to Next Generation Spaceport Infra-

structure. (a) The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary

of Defense, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Administrator of the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), shall, within 180

days of the date of this order, conduct an evaluation of relevant States’

compliance under the Coastal Zone Management Act pursuant to 16 U.S.C.

1458, the effect of any lack of compliance on the development of spaceport

infrastructure, and whether State approvals under that Act should be revoked.

The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Trans-

portation, and the Administrator of NASA shall also notify the Department

of Justice of any State or local limitations on spaceport development on

Federal lands that may be inconsistent with Federal law.

(b) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense,

the Secretary of Transportation, and the Administrator of NASA shall execute

a memorandum of understanding that aligns review processes for spaceport

development across agencies, eliminates those that are duplicative, and pre-

serves required Federal space-exploration and National Security Space

Launch capacity.

(c) The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary

of Transportation, and the Administrator of NASA shall, consistent with

applicable law, use all available authorities to expedite their respective

environmental and administrative reviews for authorizations, permits, ap-

proval, real property leases, and any other activity relevant to spaceport

infrastructure development. The Chair of the Council on Environmental

Quality shall coordinate with relevant executive departments and agencies

(agencies) on the establishment of new categorical exclusions under NEPA

for actions related to spaceport development that normally do not have

a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Agencies

shall, for purposes of establishing these categorical exclusions, rely on any

sufficient basis to do so as each such agency determines.

(d) The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Transportation, and the

Administrator of NASA shall, mindful of the significant national security

imperatives inherent in commercial space advancement, consider for all

spaceport development projects whether to submit an application to the

Endangered Species Committee pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 1536(e).

Sec. 5. Reforming Novel Space Activity Authorization. Within 150 days

of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce shall propose a process

for individualized mission authorizations for activities that are covered by

Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, but not clearly or

straightforwardly governed by existing regulatory frameworks, with the goal

of expediting and streamlining authorizations to enable American space

competitiveness and superiority. This proposal must solicit and consider

affected agencies’ feedback on the authorization process, contain a definitive

timeline for the grant or denial of authorization for proposed activities,

and include clear and consistent requirements for applicants. The Secretary

of Commerce shall transmit the proposal to the Assistant to the President

for Economic Policy, the Assistant to the President for National Security

Affairs, and the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to human spaceflight.

Sec. 6. Reforming Regulatory Leadership and Accountability. (a) Within

60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Transportation shall

establish a position in the Office of the Secretary with the responsibility

of advising the Secretary of Transportation on fostering innovation and

deregulation in the commercial space transportation industry. The Secretary

of Transportation shall further direct the Administrator of the Federal Avia-

tion Administration to take all necessary steps to appoint a senior executive

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:42 Aug 18, 2025 Jkt 265001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4705 Sfmt 4790 E:\FR\FM\19AUE0.SGM 19AUE0

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with FR_PREZDOC0

40221

Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 158 / Tuesday, August 19, 2025 / Presidential Documents

noncareer employee to be the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space

Transportation.

(b) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce

shall elevate the Office of Space Commerce into the Office of the Secretary.

Sec. 7. Administrative Note. Where applicable, the functions assigned to

the Secretary of Transportation in sections 1 through 5 of this order shall

be carried out by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration

under the direction of the Secretary of Transportation.

Sec. 8. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed

to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency,

or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and

subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit,

substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party

against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers,

employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department

of Transportation.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

August 13, 2025.

[FR Doc. 2025–15822

Filed 8–18–25; 8:45 am]

Billing code 4910–9X–P

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:42 Aug 18, 2025 Jkt 265001 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4705 Sfmt 4790 E:\FR\FM\19AUE0.SGM 19AUE0

Trump.EPS</GPH>

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with FR_PREZDOC0