The National Space Society (NSS) welcomes the White House’s new executive order, “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry,” as a bold step toward streamlining regulation and empowering the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) to oversee the next generation of space activities.
Signed on August 13, 2025, the executive order calls for sweeping reforms to elevate the OSC out from under NOAA while accelerating the approval process for novel space missions. It also supports spaceport infrastructure development, and reduces regulatory barriers for US-based launch and reentry operators.
“This order recognizes the urgency of modernizing the U.S. space governance framework,” said Grant Henriksen, Chair of the NSS Policy Committee. “By elevating the Office of Space Commerce and clarifying its role in regulating emerging activities like satellite servicing, in-space manufacturing, and lunar resource extraction, this order will help ensure that U.S. companies remain at the forefront of space development and innovation.”
The executive order aligns with long-standing calls from NSS to empower the OSC as the lead civil agency for mission authorization and oversight of non-traditional space activities. NSS has been advocating for this move on the basis that a clear, centralized regulatory pathway is essential to fostering competition, attracting investment, and maintaining U.S. leadership in the global space economy. This issue concerning the OSC has been a key part of the NSS’s briefing to the incoming administration, and a core part of its leadership position at the Alliance for Space Development to brief Congresspeople during the recent March Storm event on Capitol Hill.
NSS commends the administration’s recognition of spaceports as critical infrastructure—spaceports are the gateways to the future and serve as hubs for innovation and economic development. Whether it’s satellite launches, commercial space stations, lunar landings, or point-to-point suborbital travel, the next generation of space activity depends on a robust, distributed network of launch, landing, and servicing facilities.
The order directs the Department of Transportation to reevaluate burdensome licensing rules, paving the way for a more agile and responsive regulatory environment.
“Space is no longer just about getting there—it’s about what we do once we arrive,” said Karlton Johnson, NSS CEO. “This executive order is a leap forward in enabling a vibrant, competitive, and sustainable space future.”
As the commercial space sector evolves beyond launch and reentry, NSS urges Congress and federal agencies to fully implement the executive order and provide OSC with the resources and authority needed to succeed.
