Trump Signs Memo to Increase US Commercial Space Launches to 1,000 Annually by 2030

President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Thursday aimed at drastically increasing the number of US commercial space launches and re-entries. The White House goal is to enable at least 1,000 such operations annually by 2030, a significant increase from the 178 launches recorded last year. To achieve this, the memo directs government agencies to identify new launch and re-entry sites on federal land, expedite permitting and environmental reviews, and ensure adequate wireless spectrum for operations. One new federal re-entry site must be identified within 90 days.

The policy emphasizes a commercial first approach. It instructs agencies to avoid conducting government space transportation activities that compete with or discourage private sector activities, unless required by national security or public safety. The memo also directs NASA to facilitate commercial transportation to the moon and robotic access to Mars, with a goal of returning US astronauts to the moon by 2028.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is a primary figure in this expansion. SpaceX conducted 170 launches in 2025 and has expressed an ambition to reach 10,000 annual launches within five years. The company has also sought authorization for a constellation of one million satellites to power AI data centers. Other private entities, such as Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, are also positioned to benefit from the strategy. While the center-left framing focuses on the policy as a means to position America as a leader in the next era of space, the center-right framing emphasizes the event as a relaunch of the space race and a driver for military contracts and global market growth.