The Trump Administration’s Executive Order represents a transformative opportunity for American business and our nation’s economic future. By streamlining antiquated regulations and establishing clear frameworks, this bold action unleashes private sector innovation to build a thriving space economy.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce strongly endorses this pro-growth initiative that will create high-paying jobs, attract capital investment, and cement America’s technological supremacy in the global space race. We stand ready to work with policymakers to ensure rapid implementation that maximizes economic benefits for businesses large and small while strengthening our competitive edge in this critical frontier.
Clearing Regulatory Bottlenecks
For years, the commercial space sector has contended with a web of complex regulations, lengthy permitting timelines, duplicative reviews, and unclear, inconsistent or nonexistent authorization pathways has stunted the growth of the space economy and allowed foreign competitors to take business from U.S. industry.
Modernizing Launch Infrastructure
Space infrastructure isn’t optional—it’s the foundation of American space power. The Executive Order’s focus on increasing launch capacity is especially timely. Launches from U.S. federal ranges—such as Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Space Force Base—have more than tripled since 2020, with another record expected in 2025. This rapid growth is straining infrastructure designed decades ago to support tens of government launches annually, not hundreds. This has created bottlenecks that delay both commercial and national security launches. By expediting reviews and modernizing spaceport infrastructure, the EO will help America deploy critical assets—such as Golden Dome, GPS, communications systems, and other strategic technologies—more efficiently.
Streamlining a Fragmented Regulatory Framework
Equally important is the Executive Order’s effort to reform the fragmented regulatory framework that governs commercial space activities. The current system disproportionately favors large companies with extensive compliance resources, leaving startups at a disadvantage. This inefficiency stifles competition and innovation, while countries like China benefit from streamlined regulatory processes that allow rapid scaling across multiple competitors. Every day of regulatory delay is a day of lost technological leadership, as American entrepreneurs and engineers face outdated rules designed for the 20th-century era of government-sponsored space missions.
Catalyzing Next-Generation Markets
The Chamber is particularly encouraged by the Executive Order’s emphasis on fostering innovation and reducing barriers for next-generation space activities. By proposing aligning agency review processes, the Executive Order paves the way for a more dynamic and competitive space economy. This is a critical step toward catalyzing economic activity in low Earth orbit (LEO), which will transform global communications, lead to scientific breakthroughs and create new opportunities for American workers.
Implementation with Urgency
The Chamber implores Agencies to act with urgency as they implement this EO. The stakes are high for America’s national security and economic prosperity. American industry revolutionized access to space and stands ready to drive the next phase of American leadership: This EO provides the framework to ensure it can.
With the right policies in place, the United States can solidify its position as the global leader in space exploration, innovation, and commerce. These changes will make it easier for both new entrants and established companies to innovate and compete in the growing space economy.
By streamlining regulatory processes and addressing critical bottlenecks, this EO sets the stage for a new, more competitive, more innovative, and more robust space sector in the United States.
