Their friendship may be over, but president Donald Trump just handed Elon Musk and his company SpaceX a major boon by brushing aside major environmental regulations.

On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order to accelerate space launches by effectively deregulating the industry. As part of this push, the Federal Aviation Administration is directed to "eliminate or expedite" environmental reviews — an obstacle that has been a persistent thorn in Musk's side.

Covering all its bases, the order also directs Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who oversees the FAA, to "eliminate outdated, redundant, or overly restrictive rules for launch and reentry vehicles."

"Inefficient permitting processes discourage investment and innovation, limiting the ability of US companies to lead in global

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