Trump signs memo to help drastically boost US commercial space launches
The White House wants to enable at least 1,000 launches and re-entries annually by 2030, up from 178 launches last year.
President Donald Trump signed a memo on Thursday aiming to substantially increase the number of commercial space launches in the United States, targeting at least 1,000 launches and re-entries annually by 2030. This represents a significant boost from the current annual rate of 178 launches, with the goal of positioning America to lead the next era of space exploration.
The memo directs government agencies to identify federal land for new launch and re-entry sites within 90 days and to consider requests from foreign commercial space vehicles on a case-by-case basis. The White House aims to facilitate commercial transportation to the moon and commercial robotic access to Mars, with NASA playing a role in enabling these initiatives.
Trump also wants to see several cabinet agencies identify future space launch and re-entry sites on government property and designate priority airspace for critical space launch corridors. SpaceX, under the leadership of Elon Musk, has conducted 170 launches in 2025, deploying about 2,500 satellites and aims to reach 10,000 annual launches within five years.
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- Trump signs memo to help drastically boost US commercial space launches dailymaverick.co.za
