Inside the White House's Plan for Space Deregulation
Public Policy & Regulation attorney Paul Stimers was quoted in a Payload article about President Donald Trump's new executive order (EO) seeking to clear bureaucratic hurdles to the development of the U.S. commercial space industry. The EO addresses commercial launch and reentry, spaceport infrastructure, novel space activities, and regulatory leadership and accountability, and it directs agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to consider waiving certain requirements and reviewing rules that may be duplicative or too loosely connected to actual vehicle activities. Other provisions include directives to eliminate or expedite environmental reviews as well as notify the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) about state laws on spaceport development that conflict with federal regulations. Mr. Stimers, who leads Holland & Knight's Space Policy Team, expressed the EO overall marks a continuation of Trump's promotion of the sector initiated during his first term.
"This executive order is very consistent with the first Trump Administration's focus on space as a critical element for national security and economic competitiveness worldwide," he noted.