A memorandum signed by President Donald Trump tells federal agencies to build more places to launch rockets and bring them back, and to clear the permits and radio spectrum those operations need. It rewrites the National Space Transportation Policy around commercial space transportation, with the government working alongside private businesses.
Agencies are told to help create new launch and reentry sites and to find more government-owned land that could host them. They are also told to speed up environmental and permitting reviews, widen access to wireless spectrum, and work more closely with private space firms.
Airspace and air traffic
The policy calls for priority airspace corridors for critical launches. It also folds space transportation into the modernization of air traffic control. The stated aim is to ease operating limits and give the growing launch industry a more unified set of rules.
On who does what, the memo is blunt. Agencies should develop launch and reentry infrastructure together with commercial partners, and should avoid government activities that compete unnecessarily with private space transportation services. Public safety and national security are the exceptions.
Moon and Mars
The commercial emphasis extends beyond Earth orbit. NASA is expected to support commercial robotic missions to Mars and commercial transportation to the Moon, while the government keeps stressing American leadership in space exploration.
The timing matters for the industry. Private companies are launching more often, putting up more satellites and flying reusable vehicles. SpaceX remains the dominant force in U.S. launches, and other providers and newer space companies are developing their own vehicles and infrastructure. Launch companies need ranges, reentry sites, airspace, spectrum, permits and ground facilities, and the memo tells agencies to coordinate those needs better.
Precedence Research, which published an analysis of the policy, put the global space launch services market at $21.19 billion in 2025 and projected $24.03 billion for 2026. It also expects more launch capacity to help satellite operators replace aging spacecraft and expand constellations, and to give smaller companies a way to reach orbit without building their own rockets through rideshare and commercial launch services.
