U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday (August 13, 2025) easing regulations for the private space industry, including eliminating some environmental reviews, in a move likely to please his erstwhile advisor, Elon Musk.
The executive order, which said it aimed to "substantially" increase the number of space launches in the United States, was described by an environmental group as "reckless."
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Since returning to the White House in January, Mr. Trump has talked up several space missions, including sending humans to the Moon and Mars.
The Moon and Mars missions are planned to get a ride on the massive Starship rocket of Mr. Musk's private firm SpaceX.
