Executive Order No. 14369. Ensuring American Space Superiority

• Executive Order No.: 14369
• Published date: 23 December 2025
• Citation: 90 FR 60537
• Date: 18 December 2025
• Section: Presidential Documents

Presidential Documents

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Executive Order 14369 of December 18, 2025

Ensuring American Space Superiority

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. Superiority in space is a measure of national vision

and willpower, and the technologies Americans develop to achieve it con-

tribute substantially to the Nation’s strength, security, and prosperity. The

United States must therefore pursue a space policy that will extend the

reach of human discovery, secure the Nation’s vital economic and security

interests, unleash commercial development, and lay the foundation for a

new space age.

Sec. 2. Policy. My Administration will focus its space policy on achieving

the following priorities:

(a) Leading the world in space exploration and expanding human reach

and American presence in space by:

(i) returning Americans to the Moon by 2028 through the Artemis Program,

to assert American leadership in space, lay the foundations for lunar

economic development, prepare for the journey to Mars, and inspire the

next generation of American explorers;

(ii) establishing initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030

to ensure a sustained American presence in space and enable the next

steps in Mars exploration; and

(iii) enhancing sustainability and cost-effectiveness of launch and explo-

ration architectures, including enabling commercial launch services and

prioritizing lunar exploration;

(b) Securing and defending American vital national and economic security

interests in, from, and to space by:

(i) developing and demonstrating prototype next-generation missile defense

technologies by 2028 to progressively and materially enhance America’s

air and missile defenses pursuant to Executive Order 14186 of January

27, 2025 (The Iron Dome for America);

(ii) ensuring the ability to detect, characterize, and counter threats to

United States space interests from very low-Earth orbit and through cislunar

space, including any placement of nuclear weapons in space;

(iii) creating a responsive and adaptive national security space architecture

by accelerating acquisition reform, integrating commercial space capabili-

ties, and enabling new market entrants; and

(iv) strengthening ally and partner contributions to United States and

collective space security, including through increased space security spend-

ing, operational cooperation, basing agreements, and ally and partner in-

vestments in America’s space industrial base;

(c) Growing a vibrant commercial space economy through the power of

American free enterprise by:

(i) fostering economic growth, attracting at least $50 billion of additional

investment in American space markets by 2028, and increasing launch

and reentry cadence through new and upgraded facilities, improved effi-

ciency, and policy reforms;

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(ii) demonstrating spectrum leadership across space applications to pro-

mote United States technology competitiveness, spectrum management

efficiency, and global market access; and

(iii) spurring private sector initiative and a commercial pathway to replace

the International Space Station by 2030; and

(d) Developing and deploying advanced capabilities and approaches to

enable the next century of space achievements by:

(i) optimizing space research-and-development investments to achieve my

Administration’s near-term space objectives, use emerging technologies

and scientific discoveries to advance mission capabilities, and enable sci-

entific discovery for America’s long-term science and technology leader-

ship;

(ii) enabling near-term utilization of space nuclear power by deploying

nuclear reactors on the Moon and in orbit, including a lunar surface

reactor ready for launch by 2030;

(iii) improving high-value space and Earth weather forecasting and oper-

ations to meet needs on Earth and beyond, utilizing improved business

approaches such as firm fixed-price contracts and as-a-service models

for both space and ground-based segments;

(iv) enabling the sustainability of space operations through effective and

responsible approaches to space traffic management; orbital debris mitiga-

tion and remediation; and terrestrial and cislunar positioning, navigation,

and timing, including by establishing the United States as the standards

and services leader in these areas; and

(v) establishing ground, space, and lunar infrastructure and standards that

enable implementation of space priorities and a robust space industrial

base.

Sec. 3. Implementation. (a) The Assistant to the President for Science and

Technology (APST) shall coordinate the overall implementation of this order,

including:

(i) within 60 days of the date of this order, issuing guidance on establishing

a National Initiative for American Space Nuclear Power to achieve the

nuclear power policy priorities directed in this order, in coordination

with the heads of relevant executive departments and agencies (agencies)

identified by the APST; and

(ii) within 120 days of the date of this order, propose revisions to Presi-

dential Policy Directive 26 of November 21, 2013 (National Space Transpor-

tation Policy), to support implementation of this order.

(b) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the APST shall coordinate

development of and integrate into one submission to the President the

following:

(i) a plan from the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA), in coordination with the Director of the Office

of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Assistant to the President

for Domestic Policy (APDP), for achieving the policy objectives in this

order regarding leading the world in space exploration and expanding

human reach and American presence in space, including plans for miti-

gating any technology, supply chain, or industrial capacity gaps relevant

to achieving those goals within available funding;

(ii) the results of comprehensive reviews by the Secretary of Commerce

and the Administrator of NASA, in consultation with the Director of

OMB, of their respective major space acquisition programs to identify

any such programs that are more than 30 percent behind schedule based

on the program’s acquisition baseline, 30 percent over cost based on

the program’s baseline, unable to meet any key performance parameters,

or unaligned with the priorities in this order, along with a description

of their planned mitigation or remediation efforts; and

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(iii) a report from the Secretary of War, in coordination with the Director

of National Intelligence (DNI) and the Assistant to the President for Na-

tional Security Affairs (APNSA), of any technology, supply chain, or indus-

trial capacity gaps relevant to this order’s directive to progressively and

materially enhance America’s air and missile defenses, and plans for miti-

gating such gaps within available funding.

(c) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce

and the Administrator of NASA shall each reform their respective agency’s

space acquisition processes to support the space priorities in this order,

and to further Executive Order 14271 of April 15, 2025 (Ensuring Commercial,

Cost-Effective Solutions in Federal Contracts). These reforms shall incorporate

the following:

(i) use of existing authorities to improve efficiency and expedite space

acquisitions, including a first preference for commercial solutions and

a general preference for Other Transactions Authority or Space Act Agree-

ments, customary commercial terms, or any other pathways to promote

effective or streamlined acquisitions;

(ii) a detailed review of each functional support role within the agency’s

Federal and contract workforce, to eliminate unnecessary tasks, reduce

duplication, and accelerate decision-making;

(iii) for the Department of Commerce, strengthening capabilities for con-

ducting space acquisition and sustainment activities in a manner that

supports collaboration with, but does not require acquisition assistance

from, NASA, including by recommending legislative reforms as necessary;

and

(iv) for NASA, aligning space-focused acquisition and procurement proc-

esses across NASA centers and activities to improve efficiency.

(d) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the APNSA shall, in coordina-

tion with the Secretary of War, the DNI, the APST, and the heads of other

relevant agencies:

(i) implement a space security strategy that accounts for United States

interests in, from, and to space; addresses current and projected threats

to United States space interests from very low-Earth orbit through cislunar

space; and incorporates a technology plan for detecting, characterizing,

and countering potential adversary placement of nuclear weapons in space;

and

(ii) implement a plan for a responsive and adaptive national security

space architecture to support the space security strategy and other relevant

priorities established in this order.

(e) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State,

in coordination with the Secretary of War and the DNI, shall implement

a plan to strengthen ally and partner contributions to United States and

collective space security.

(f) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce

shall coordinate with the APST, the Assistant to the President for Economic

Policy, the APDP, and the heads of relevant agencies to assert spectrum

leadership, which shall include considering opportunities for reapportioning

and sharing spectrum, as appropriate.

(g) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Administrator of NASA,

in coordination with the Secretary of State and the APST, shall ensure

that international civil space cooperation arrangements involving NASA sup-

port the policy priorities in this order, including by initiating new arrange-

ments and modifying or terminating existing arrangements where appropriate

and consistent with existing authorities and legal obligations.

Sec. 4. Rescission. (a) This order supersedes Executive Order 14056 of Decem-

ber 1, 2021 (The National Space Council), which is hereby revoked.

(b) Space Policy Directive 3 of June 18, 2018 (National Space Traffic

Management Policy), is hereby revised as follows:

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(i) by replacing ‘‘free of direct user fees’’ with ‘‘for commercial and other

relevant use’’ in subsections 3(b) and 4(d); and

(ii) by replacing ‘‘provided free of direct user fees’’ with ‘‘available for

commercial and other relevant use’’ in subsections 5(a)(ii) and 5(b)(ii).

(c) To the extent this order is inconsistent with any provision of any

previous Executive Order, Presidential Memorandum, or Presidential Direc-

tive, this order shall control.

Sec. 5. Definitions. (a) The term ‘‘commercial solutions’’ means any of the

methods for procurement of a commercial product or service described

in part 12 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, or other industry solutions

funded by private investment that meet agency needs.

(b) The term ‘‘Other Transactions Authority’’ means the ability of the

United States Government to enter into contracts other than standard con-

tracts, grants, or cooperative agreements.

Sec. 6. 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 OMB relating to budgetary, administra-

tive, 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 National

Aeronautics and Space Administration.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

December 18, 2025.

[FR Doc. 2025–23845

Filed 12–22–25; 11:15 am]

Billing code 7510–13–P

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