Trump Eases Space Regulations In Boost For Elon Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin And More

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order easing space regulations, which could boost Elon Musk and his commercial space exploration company, SpaceX‘s operations.

Eliminating ‘Outdated' Rules For Launch Vehicles

Trump signed the executive order, directing the U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to "eliminate outdated, redundant, or overly restrictive rules for launch and reentry vehicles," Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

The order also directs the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, to rescind, amend, or reevaluate part 450 of its licensing process, which critics maintain complicates rocket licensing, the report says.

Part 450 allows companies to launch the same vehicle multiple times under one license, but it requires performance-based safety criteria for the companies, the report says.

The orders could also provide a boost for other Space companies like Jeff Bezos‘ Blue Origin, as well as Lockheed Martin Corp LMT and Boeing Co. BA joint venture, the United Launch Alliance, or ULA.

Environmental Reviews, Deregulation In Space Exploration

Other directives include the Transportation Secretary working closely with the chair of the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality to eliminate or expedite environmental reviews of launch vehicles.

The order also assigns the Transportation Department to appoint an "Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation," the report says. The post will help the government by advising on ways to innovate and deregulate commercial space exploration.

SpaceX May Miss Out On Golden Dome, Musk Slams Trump Over Subsidies

The news comes as the Pentagon recently unveiled key components of Trump's Golden Dome missile defense system, which will reportedly have a blend of satellite and ground-based defenses. Interestingly, the Pentagon briefing did not mention SpaceX.

SpaceX was once a frontrunner for the Golden Dome contracts alongside Peter Thiel's Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR and drone manufacturing company Anduril.

Musk had also criticized the Trump administration over SpaceX's contracts with NASA, saying that the company won the contracts because it was "doing a better job for less money."

MAGA Could Let Musk In Despite Tense Relations

Elsewhere, key figures in the MAGA or Make America Great Again contingent have indicated that Musk could be let back into the fold despite sour relations with Trump over EV subsidies, as well as the Jefferey Epstein Client list row.

"My hope is that by the time of the midterms, he's kind of come back into the fold," Vice President JD Vance had recently said in an interview. Other key figures share Vance's thoughts in the MAGA contingent.

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