The White House is seeking to increase the number of launches into space to 1,000 a year by 2030 and to find a way to send humans to Mars, it said this week in an update to the National Space Transportation Policy.
The new goal would dramatically increase the number of space launches and reentries the U.S. conducts. In fiscal year 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration authorized 204 commercial space operations.
The plan also directs NASA to explore commercial avenues for robots to access the surface of Mars and architecture capable of getting humans to Mars and returning them to Earth.
The administration’s objectives would be costly because launches range from millions to billions of dollars, depending on the scale of the mission.
Implementation will depend on private sector buy-in and Congress’ willingness to fund the objectives, which the memorandum acknowledges.
The policy replaces guidance issued by the Obama administration in 2013.
Because private companies drive most U.S. space activity, the directive calls for the federal government to position itself as a consumer rather than a competitor of those companies and plans to add incentives such as expedited permitting and environmental reviews.
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