Several space-focused companies saw their shares rise in premarket trading on Thursday after President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to accelerate rocket launches and expand spaceport development.
AIRO Group (NASDAQ:AIRO) led the gains, jumping more than 11% before the opening bell on Wall Street. Satellogic (NASDAQ:SATL) climbed over 8%, while Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ:RKLB) and AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) each gained around 1.6%.
Trump introduced the order on Wednesday to simplify federal oversight of commercial rocket launches, potentially benefiting SpaceX CEO and former Trump ally Elon Musk, along with other private space ventures.
The U.S. Transportation Secretary was instructed to either eliminate or fast-track environmental reviews for launch licenses issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. The order stated that “[i]nefficient permitting processes discourage investment and innovation, limiting the ability of U.S. companies to lead in global space markets.”
Executives in the space sector have long voiced frustration over what they see as slow federal permitting for launches and other operations. Many industry leaders had anticipated Trump would address these hurdles during a second term, particularly after Musk assumed a central advisory role to the president early in January. The two have since publicly diverged, largely through social media exchanges.
Although SpaceX is not mentioned directly in the order, the company has outpaced U.S. competitors, including NASA, in the number of launches completed to deploy its profitable satellite constellation.
Musk has repeatedly criticized the FAA for its post-flight investigations and licensing reviews, saying the procedures have slowed progress on the Starship rocket, a critical component of both SpaceX’s and NASA’s long-term lunar and Mars mission plans.
Another potential beneficiary of the new rules could be the space tourism division of Blue Origin, the privately held rocket company founded by Jeff Bezos.
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