Trump presidency could fast-track SpaceX’s path to commercial launch of Starship as Musk set for key role

With rapid advancements in test flights, new administration may provide regulatory support needed

Elon Musk’s support for Trump throughout the campaign hinted at a close relationship that could pave the way for SpaceX to navigate regulatory hurdles. AFP

SpaceX has been making significant progress in the development of its deep-space rocket Starship, moving closer to a commercial debut with each test flight.

Now, with president-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, Starship’s path to commercial readiness could accelerate even faster due to the anticipated regulatory support.

Mr Trump has announced that SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy – who briefly campaigned to be the Republican nominee in the presidential election – will head a new Department of Government Efficiency.

The department’s mission would be to reduce federal waste by dismantling bureaucracy, eliminating excess regulations, cutting unnecessary spending and overhauling federal agencies.

Mr Trump described the department as a body intended to offer “advice and guidance from outside of government”.

Continuing support

Mr Musk’s visible support for Mr Trump throughout the campaign and his continued appearances alongside the president-elect in Florida hinted at a close relationship that could pave the way for SpaceX to navigate regulatory hurdles more swiftly.

The billionaire has frequently voiced frustration with the Federal Aviation Administration’s stringent regulatory processes, which he has argued slow down innovation and delay SpaceX's ambitious launch schedule.

“Under a Trump-led FAA, we might expect an accelerated path for SpaceX’s Starship development, primarily by cutting down on regulatory delays,” Sahith Madara, an aerospace engineer and founder of Paris advisory firm Bumi and Space, told The National.

“For instance, the administration could prioritise rapid permitting for launches and streamline environmental reviews, which have historically slowed SpaceX operations at Boca Chica.

“The FAA could waive certain regulatory requirements or set aggressive deadlines for assessments, potentially shortening the approval timeline for each launch.”

SpaceX and the FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The National.

On September 17, Mr Musk threatened to sue the FAA after it proposed to issue $633,009 worth of penalties to SpaceX for not following licence requirements during two of its launches last year.

“SpaceX will be filing suit against the FAA for regulatory overreach,” he posted on X, which he also owns.

The Trump administration has historically advocated for reducing regulatory barriers and expediting approval processes, especially for industries it considers critical to the US, such as aerospace and defence.

Mr Madara said that the authority under a Trump administration could also adopt a “streamlined review” process, typically applied in infrastructure projects, which would allow SpaceX to conduct tests and launches “without waiting months for each individual permit”.

Anna Hazlett, founder of AzurX, a UAE-based space advisory and investment firm, echoed Mr Madara's thoughts on how a Trump-led FAA could accelerate SpaceX's path.

“With Trump’s re-election, his administration’s pro-space, tech-driven and industrial vision for America’s future could lead to supportive FAA policies for commercial space ventures, potentially fast-tracking projects like Starship,” she said.

SpaceX has been working to develop Starship for years, aiming to create a fully reusable rocket system capable of carrying large payloads and crew to destinations like the Moon, Mars and beyond.

It consists of a Super-Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft, which together would produce 3,991 tonnes of thrust, 15 per cent more than Nasa’s Apollo Moon rocket Saturn V.

SpaceX has a $2.89 billion contract from Nasa to develop a Starship human lunar landing system to land astronauts on the surface of the Moon.

But Mr Musk's ultimate goal with the Starship fleet is to make life multi-planetary.

Even with a friendlier regulatory landscape, SpaceX must still meet critical technical milestones before Starship can be ready commercially.

The company has carried out five test flights of Starship so far, with the most recent on October 13, achieving a successful booster recovery using mechanical arms.

The sixth test flight is scheduled for November 18, in which the company will aim to demonstrate the upper stage's re-ignition capability in orbit, a critical milestone for commercial operations.

“The next Starship flight test aims to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online,” SpaceX said on its website.

“Objectives include the booster once again returning to the launch site for catch, reigniting a ship Raptor engine while in space, and testing a suite of heat shield experiments and manoeuvring changes for ship re-entry and descent over the Indian Ocean.”

Caleb Henry, director of research at Florida-based Quilty Space – an intelligence firm specialising in the space industry, told The National that re-ignition of the upper stage once it is in orbit is the “most important prerequisite” for commercial launches of the Starship rocket system.

“While the Super Heavy booster is critical for reaching space, the Starship upper stage needs to demonstrate full functionality to carry customer payloads to their target orbits,” he said.

“If this month’s Starship demonstration successfully conducts engine re-ignition, it could pave the way for a first launch with a customer payload in 2025.

“SpaceX may also want to demonstrate Starship/Super Heavy’s ability to launch commercial payloads by first conducting a mission carrying SpaceX’s own Starlink satellites.

“Customers like seeing a rocket that’s been proved out before committing their payloads to fly.”