The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a rule that will streamline the licensing application process for commercial space missions.
The proposal would waive requirements under 13 federal laws, many of them environmental review statutes, when the Transportation secretary determines the requirements are unnecessary to protect public health and safety, property, national security or U.S. foreign policy interests.
The proposal implements President Trump’s August 2025 executive order, “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry,” which directed federal agencies to streamline commercial space licensing and remove regulatory obstacles to strengthen U.S. leadership in the sector.
Although the FAA has 180 days to review applications, the actual amount of time from application through approval to secure a new vehicle or operator license is currently closer to 36 months, according to SpaceNexus, an industry intelligence platform.
After authorizing a record 204 commercial space operations in 2025, the FAA projects approvals will increase to 214 in 2026 and reach 507 annually by 2036, totaling about 4,288 operations over the next decade.
Photo by Pixabay
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