President Donald Trump has signed a new National Space Transportation Policy aiming to increase the United States' capabilities to support over 1,000 rocket launches annually by 2030. The memorandum, made public on August 20, represents the first update to U.S. space policy since 2013, responding to a significant increase in launch frequency driven by commercial operators such as SpaceX, which has boosted U.S. launch cadences by over 800% since 2015.
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The new policy emphasizes expanding necessary infrastructure and procedures to support a more robust space industry. Federal agencies are instructed to identify and broaden commercial access to additional launch and reentry sites while integrating spaceflight operations into air traffic control management. Agencies must begin this work within 180 days of the memo's publication.
NASA, the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Department of Defense (DOD) are tasked with identifying potential locations for future launch activities and upgrading existing facilities to increase capacity. Additionally, they are to establish leases and investment opportunities for commercial co-development of new sites, potentially funded by private entities.
The policy specifically addresses rocket landing sites, directing agencies to identify federal lands for development as independent reentry sites within 90 days. It also seeks to streamline environmental reviews for commercial launches and spaceport construction, continuing efforts initiated in a 2025 executive order by Trump aimed at reducing regulatory barriers.
SpaceX has plans that exceed the administration's 2030 target, with CEO Elon Musk stating that the company aims to conduct 30 or more Starship flights daily by that year, resulting in over 10,000 launches per year. The policy encourages NASA and DOD to maintain multiple launch options and develop interfaces allowing payloads to move among different providers.
Furthermore, the memorandum expands transportation services beyond launch to include in-space servicing and logistics. The DOD is asked to explore commercial solutions for in-space transport and diversified orbital delivery methods.
For national security, the policy outlines an initiative aimed at achieving reliable space access within a 48-hour timeframe. The Space Force's Space Systems Command is actively testing this capability, having successfully launched missions with minimal notice.
The White House anticipates economic benefits from the new policy, including advancements in in-space manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, as well as improvements in satellite services that could enhance agriculture and weather forecasting.
Moreover, the transportation strategy is designed to extend beyond low Earth orbit. NASA is directed to develop a commercial lunar logistics framework for transporting cargo to and from the moon, in line with its efforts through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services and Artemis programs. These initiatives aim to return astronauts to the moon and lay the groundwork for sustainable lunar operations, with future plans for commercial robotic access to Mars and potential crewed missions.