The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is scheduled to vote on September 30 regarding a proposal to revise its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. The draft order aims to classify space-based operations as activities that do not constitute major federal actions, thereby exempting them from mandatory environmental reviews.
This initiative follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in January 2025, which revoked previous mandates and allowed federal agencies to establish their own NEPA procedures. The FCC argues that atmospheric activities related to space operations are already under the regulatory purview of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA is simultaneously pursuing its own deregulation efforts. In July, the agency proposed waiving NEPA and 12 other statutes for commercial space licenses. The public comment period for this proposal concluded on August 31, with the agency receiving over 3,200 submissions.
While the environmental impact of space launches remains a subject of ongoing research, the National Space Transportation Policy has set a target of more than 1,000 launches and reentries annually by 2030. The proposed changes are expected to primarily affect private launch sites rather than federal facilities.
