On August 20th, the White House released a new version of the National Space Transportation Policy, which is the first update to the policy since 2013. The core goal is to significantly increase the scale of US space launch and return operations. It is planned that by 2030, US facilities can support at least 1000 launch and return missions per year. There will be less than 200 launch missions completed by domestic facilities in the United States by 2025. The policy proposes that the United States needs to build and maintain space transportation capabilities, covering various orbital spaces from suborbital and extremely low Earth orbit to the lunar surface, Lagrange point, and deep space, to ensure access to space needs related to national interests.
The policy focuses on launch infrastructure rather than the carrier rocket itself. The policy requires the Department of Defense and NASA, which operate federal launch sites, to regularly evaluate the upgrade conditions for launch and return infrastructure, and may collaborate with commercial companies to carry out infrastructure construction. The policy promotes the addition of launch sites and instructs the Ministry of National Defense NASA、 The Ministry of Transport, in conjunction with local governments, is conducting site selection for new launch facilities and targeted infrastructure upgrades, but it is not clear whether the new facilities belong to a federal launch site or a private spaceport.
The policy requires relevant agencies to issue federal launch facility scheduling guidelines within 180 days, taking into account both commercial and government mission needs, improving the integration of launch activities with the national airspace system, and designating priority airspace for key space launch channels. At the same time, the Ministry of the Interior is instructed to screen state-owned land that can be used as a federal return landing site within 90 days, and subsequently complete the development of landing safety standards and site development plans, and open them to commercial entities for use.
In addition to launching and returning infrastructure, the policy also covers multiple government and commercial space transportation related provisions. The policy requires the Science and Technology Policy Office to complete the formulation of the basic strategy for the space transportation industry within 180 days, cultivate a competitive and risk resistant space transportation industry, and focus on talent development in the industry. Request to initiate an export policy evaluation within 120 days, followed by a review every two years to support the development of the US launch industry, while studying the feasibility of overseas launch entities using US launch facilities.
The policy continues the previous regulations, and the US government prioritizes the use of domestic launch vehicles for payloads, with only a few exceptions such as international cooperation without financial exchange; The government prioritizes the procurement of commercial launch services and requires the Ministry of National Defense and NASA to collaborate in the procurement of launch services. For long-term missions, policies support NASA in expanding its extraterrestrial commercial space transportation system, building a lunar logistics architecture, and exploring commercial manned Mars round-trip solutions. The Ministry of National Defense needs to study satellite in orbit services and other in orbit transportation services, incorporate them into mission plan design, and develop a rapid response launch system.
