The National Space Transportation Policy
Record date: 2026-08-25
National Security Presidential Memorandum 17 of August 20, 2026 The National Space Transportation Policy Memorandum for the Secretary of State[,] the Secretary of War[,] the Secretary of the Interior[,] the Secretary of Commerce[,] the Secretary of Transportation[,] the Secretary of Energy[,] the Secretary of Homeland Security[,] the Director of the Office of Management and Budget[,] the Director of National Intelligence[,] the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs[,] the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology[,] the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy[,] the Assistant to the
What this record contains
- Federal Register document
- 2026-17372
- Publication date
- 2026-08-25
- Citation
- 91 FR 54929
- Issuing office
- Executive Office of the President
Official record excerpt
National Security Presidential Memorandum 17 of August 20, 2026 The National Space Transportation Policy Memorandum for the Secretary of State[,] the Secretary of War[,] the Secretary of the Interior[,] the Secretary of Commerce[,] the Secretary of Transportation[,] the Secretary of Energy[,] the Secretary of Homeland Security[,] the Director of the Office of Management and Budget[,] the Director of National Intelligence[,] the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs[,] the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology[,] the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy[,] the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy[,] the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration[, and] the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following: Section 1 . National Space Transportation Goals. Access to, from, and within space is a vital national and economic security interest. American space transportation capabilities underpin the global economy, and commercial space innovation flourishes with affordable, reliable, and safe space transportation. The United States must establish and maintain space transportation capabilities that ensure access to the full range of orbital regimes relevant to United States interests, from suborbital and very-low Earth orbit altitudes to the lunar surface, Lagrange points, and deep space. By 2030, our space transportation ranges must grow to support more than 1,000 launches and reentries every year. The policies set forth in this memorandum will secure America's continued superiority in space. Sec. 2 . Space Launch and Reentry Infrastructure. (a) The Secretary of War and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shall operate Federal launch and reentry ranges and facilities in a transparent manner that accommodates government and non-government users. (b) The heads of relevant executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall, in consultation with State, local, tribal, territorial, and industry partners: (i) regularly consider and evaluate opportunities to improve launch and reentry infrastructure and access to infrastructure; (ii) incentivize co-development of launch and reentry infrastructure, including by facilitating leases, commercial investment, and public-private partnerships for capital improvements on Federal property; (iii) facilitate access to Federal launch and reentry sites for commercial users; (iv) expedite facility permitting and environmental reviews, consistent with Executive Order 14335 of August 13, 2025 (Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry); and (v) develop fair and transparent cost recovery policies for common services, commodities, and infrastructure. (c) The Secretary of War and the Administrator of NASA shall prioritize and coordinate on infrastructure investments that optimize launch and reentry capacity, flexibility, agility, resilience, and economies of scale at Federal launch and reentry facilities and ranges. ( printed page 54930) (d) Within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of War, in coordination with the Administrator of NASA, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall develop and promulgate Federal range scheduling criteria to maximize efficient use of range resources for commercial users while ensuring United States Government needs are met. (e) The Secretary of War, in coordination with the Administrator of NASA and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall regularly publish range schedules to ensure transparent allocation of resources and optimize launch capacity. (f) Within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of War and the Administrator of NASA, shall: (i) identify, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, State and local officials, and other relevant stakeholders, potential locations for additional launch facilities and targeted development or improvement of launch infrastructure and report these findings to the President through the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (APST); (ii) implement a plan to integrate space launch and reentry management into airspace and traffic control modernization efforts; and (iii) designate priority airspace for critical space launch corridors. (g) The Secretary of Commerce and the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, in coordination with the heads of relevant agencies, shall ensure reliable access to spectrum for commercial and Federal space launch, reentry, recovery, and on-orbit activities. Within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary of
The excerpt is reproduced from the public federal record and may omit later sections, tables, signatures or attachments. Open the official source for the complete text.
Questions for accountability
- What legal authority does this economy action cite?
- Which agencies or officials were directed to act?
- What measurable implementation, cost, deadline or later court action followed?
How to use this page
This is a source-record entry, not a truth-rating by itself. It preserves the action, date and original government publication so it can be connected to later claims, implementation records, court decisions, costs and measurable outcomes. Editorial claim reviews on this site use separate finding labels and explain the evidence for those findings.