WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump aims to stimulate the domestic space industry by cutting bureaucracy as the competition from countries like China and India heats up.
In an executive order signed on Wednesday, the administration outlined plans to strengthen the US position in space by 2030 through a competitive market for launches, a significant increase in launch frequency, and "novel space activities."
To achieve this, the government plans to simplify and accelerate approval processes for commercial licenses and US-based operators.
The order says ensuring efficient launches and re-entries by US operators is "critical to economic growth, national security, and accomplishing federal space objectives."
The policies will help maintain "American space competitiveness and superiority."
The executive order sets deadlines for federal agencies, including NASA, to propose measures to reduce regulatory hurdles and identify conflicts with existing rules, such as environmental regulations.
The US aims to return humans to the moon by 2027, decades after the last crewed US lunar missions, but ahead of other nations with ambitious space programmes such as China and India.
Rapid commercialization and privatization have dramatically changed the space industry in recent years, intensifying the race for a leading position in the sector. — dpa
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
