Policy
Stories about space regulations and policy, and what they mean for companies.
Duffy Selects 20-Year NASA Vet as His Number Two
By promoting Kshatriya, Duffy is following through on his commitment to “move away” from Earth sciences in favor of greater space exploration.
Trump Confirms SPACECOM Move to Alabama
The official relocation to the Redstone Arsenal installation is the latest chapter in a multi-year back-and-forth that started in the final days of Trump’s first term.
Op-ed: Space Science Is Part of the Space Race with China
Beijing is pressing ahead with an ambitious space science effort designed to close the gap with—or even exceed—US capabilities in the coming decades. If our elected leaders believe that America’s continued leadership in space is paramount, they must press our national lead in space science.
Scientists Call For New Agency to Promote, Oversee Space
The Federation of American Scientists recommended that the Space Promotion and Regulatory Agency should be formed by merging the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation and the Commerce Department’s Office of Space Commerce.
Rep. Jeff Crank On the Mission of the Golden Dome Caucus
A new caucus established this summer is aiming to educate lawmakers about Golden Dome and build a coalition to support the Trump administration’s proposed missile defense program.
Op-ed: The EU Space Act Will Stifle Innovation And Hurt US Space Companies
The EU Space Act, published in June, would establish a unified, EU-wide approach to regulating space activities, and address issues related to space safety, resiliency, and sustainability. However, the space act is poised to unleash a Pandora’s box of consequences, including putting a brake on innovation and raising the costs of doing business in space.
What Happens to the UK Space Agency Now?
Industry leaders shared nuanced views with Payload on what a DSIT-run UKSA might mean for the future of the country’s space ambitions.
Organizations Band Together to Save NASA Science
The organizations’ plan is to educate members of Congress on the importance of NASA science, and the wide-ranging benefits the agency provides to the whole country.
Duffy Wants NASA To Leave the Earth Behind
NASA will begin “moving away” from Earth sciences, Acting Administrator Sean Duffy told Fox News last week—a sharp shift in the agency’s focus since it was established in 1958.
Op-ed: NASA’s New CLD Strategy Will Lose Mars, LEO to China
As a former space shuttle pilot and commander whose crews helped build the ISS, I am appalled that NASA has reportedly changed its plans for future commercial space stations.
New Report Details Trump DoD’s Space Spending Spree
Between the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (BBB) and the Trump administration’s budget request, the Space Force could see a budget of $40.2B in fiscal 2026.
New Caucus Promotes Humanity Boldly Going
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are aiming to promote US leadership in space—and ensure commercial space players are in lockstep with the government along the way.
What is the FAA planning for rocket launch licenses?
Environmental reviews, system safety regs, and explosion models, oh my.