A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink internet satellites soars into space after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base on December 4, 2024, seen behind a cactus from San Diego, California. Getty Images / Kevin Carter
SpaceX’s Shotwell wants space launch regulators to move faster
Elon Musk’s company aims to launch nearly 200 times next year.
The U.S. government should be more like China when it comes to regulating space launches, the president and chief operating officer of SpaceX said Tuesday.
“I do think we need to rethink very quickly the regulatory regime for space launch and space comms and other space capability to make sure that regulation, which is important…needs to keep up with technology,” Gwynne Shotwell said during an event at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
The Chinese government doesn’t restrict space launches, Shotwell said, complimenting China’s “extraordinary” work ethic and how all parts of their government support technology development.
“I never hear Chinese companies complaining about Chinese regulatory regime, right? I think it's quite the opposite, right? I think the government is incredibly helpful to push those technologies forward fast, so I think that's a lesson that we need to learn as well,” Shotwell said.
Elon Musk has been a vocal critic of the Federal Aviation Administration’s slow pace, complaining about delays and fines the company has faced while obtaining a launch license for Starship, the company’s new mega-rocket. Now, as Musk seems to have president-elect Trump’s ear and has been chosen to co-lead a government efficiency project, experts believe incoming officials will change the way the FAA regulates launches—and possibly trim regulations to increase launch speed.
Following Shotwell’s comments, the FAA today issued SpaceX a license for Starship’s next flight, granting approval “well ahead” of the launch date, according to an agency statement, which is “another example of the FAA’s commitment to enable safe space transportation.”
Last month, the FAA started a review to look at its rules for granting commercial space launch and re-entry licenses, and plans to finish recommendations by late next summer to inform future rulemaking, according to the agency. FAA’s rules only apply to commercial launches, not to federal agencies like the Space Force, but Pentagon officials and industry members alike have been pushing for more diversity in the launch business writ large.
SpaceX, which has dominated the space launch market for years, plans to continue increasing its launch cadence and get up to “maybe 175-180” launches next year, Shotwell said, with plans for hundreds of Starship launches when the new rocket comes online.