US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at easing regulations for the private space industry, including the elimination of certain environment reviews. This move is likely to please his former advisor, Elon Musk.

The order seeks to “substantially” increase the number of space launches in the United States. It has drawn criticism from environmental groups, which have been labelled as “reckless”.

Since returning to White House in January, Trump has promoted several ambitious space missions, including plans to send humans to the Moon and Mars, with SpaceX’s massive starship rocket set to play a key role.

However, the starship program has faced multiple setbacks, including a recent test that ended with a fiery explosion in June.

SpaceX currently leads the global launch market, having completed over 130 launches last year, a number expected to rise following Trump’s executive order.

The directive states that it is US policy to “enhance American greatness in space” by fostering a competitive launch marketplace and significantly increasing commercial space launch activities by 2030.

The changes could benefit Musk, who has long advocated for deregulation in the space sector. Despite a public falling out in July. Musk remains a prominent figure in Trump’s space agenda, The order also instructs Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy who was present at the singing to expedite environmental reviews for launch.

Critics, including the US-based nonprofit Centre for Biological Diversity, have expressed concerns about the environmental impact of increased launches.

A representative from the center Jared Margolis, stated that the executive order “ paves the way for the massive destruction of protected plants and animals“ and endangers both people and wildlife due to the risks posed by private rocket launches.

Musk’s aspirations for colonising Mars depend on the success of the Starship program, with SpaceX committed to a “fail fast, learn fast” approach.

Earlier this year, the Federal Aviation Administration approved an increase in annual Starship launches from 5 to 25, asserting that the higher frequency would not adversely affect the environment.