Trump signs memo to help drastically boost US commercial space launches

[WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Aug 20) signed a memo to help drastically increase the number of US commercial space launches, including directing government agencies to look at federal land for new launch and re-entry sites.

The White House wants to enable at least 1,000 launches and re-entries annually by 2030, up from 178 launches in 2025 – a figure that is already 10 times higher than in 2013 and dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The memo, focused on boosting the commercial space industry, called on agencies to incentivise co-development of space transportation infrastructure with private sector partners, expedite permitting and environmental reviews and ensure adequate wireless spectrum for space launches.

Trump ​also wants to return US astronauts to ​the moon by 2028.

The memo directs Nasa to facilitate commercial transportation to the moon and commercial robotic access to Mars, and to explore commercial avenues to send humans to Mars.

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy director Michael Kratsios said the new national space transportation policy “meets this moment of explosive growth and positions America to lead the next era of space”.

He said it calls for a “commercial-first approach enabling Americans on the Moon by 2028 and initial Moon Base elements by 2030, and rapid, resilient launch capabilities for national security”.

Trump wants a new federal re-entry site identified within 90 days.

Trump also wants agencies to refrain from conducting US government space transportation activities “that preclude, discourage, or compete with United States commercial space transportation activities, unless required by public safety or national security”.

SEE ALSO

The high-stakes battle for invisible real estate in space

As the West explores new frontiers, South-east Asia is looking back down at Earth from space

Singapore investors see SpaceX investment as a long-term bet on the future of the space economy

Singapore can support global space industry as a geospatial data hub, says government space office

The big ambitions of China’s private space industry

More

In May, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said SpaceX aimed to reach 10,000 annual launches within five years.

SpaceX conducted 170 launches in 2025, deploying about 2,500 satellites.

In January, SpaceX said it wants to launch a constellation of 1 million satellites that will orbit ​Earth and harness the sun to power AI data centres.

Trump wants several cabinet agencies to quickly identify future space launch and re-entry sites on government property and to designate priority airspace for critical space launch corridors.

He also wants integration of space transportation activities into air traffic control modernisation.

At the start of his second term, Trump had repeatedly talked about sending missions to Mars as Musk, a major donor who has made sending humans to the Red Planet a priority for SpaceX, served a stint as a close adviser and powerful government efficiency czar.

But lawmakers in Congress slowly put the moon back in focus, pressuring NASA to stick with the agency’s Artemis moon program, on which billions of dollars have been spent.

Trump’s memo also directed federal agencies to consider on a case-by-case basis requests to launch commercial foreign space vehicles in the United States. REUTERS