President Donald Trump on 13 August signed the executive order “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry,” the most sweeping rewrite of U.S. civil-space regulations in decades. The directive elevates the Office of Space Commerce to the secretary level at the Commerce Department, orders the Department of Transportation to streamline launch and re-entry licensing, and instructs multiple agencies to fast-track environmental reviews for new spaceports. The White House said the rules are intended to “substantially increase” commercial launch cadence and novel space activities by 2030. The order also creates a senior adviser on commercial space within DOT and requires Transportation, Defense and NASA to align spaceport review processes. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford called the measure critical to ensuring the United States “continues to lead the world in space transportation and innovation.” At the signing ceremony, Transportation Secretary and acting NASA chief Sean P. Duffy said the policy shift clears the way for a permanent U.S. base on the Moon by 2030, framing the outpost as a national-security asset. “Whoever controls space is going to control Earth,” he told reporters, adding that NASA will prioritise exploration over climate research under his tenure. The FAA on Thursday recorded its 1,000th licensed commercial space operation— a figure that includes launches, re-entries and suborbital flights. Duffy predicted the next 1,000 could occur in less than five years under the new deregulation regime. Industry groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and lawmakers from space-faring states welcomed the order, saying reduced red tape would accelerate private investment and help counter China and Russia’s advances in orbit. Environmental advocates have yet to comment on the expedited review provisions.