President Donald Trump is calling for an ease of regulations for commercial spaceflight and streamlining licensing for rocket launches and reentries. The move highly favors companies like SpaceX but could have negative repercussions on environmental habitats surrounding launchpads.

On Wednesday, August 13, Trump signed an executive order intended to bolster the spaceflight industry and increase the overall commercial launch cadence. In it, Trump calls on Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who is also currently serving as the acting administrator for NASA, to “eliminate or expedite…environmental reviews for, and other obstacles to the granting of, launch and reentry licenses and permits.” The order also directs Duffy to “reevaluate, amend, or rescind” safety requirements and conditions

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