The Trump administration has created a Transportation Department task force aimed at dramatically accelerating commercial space activity, targeting 10,000 FAA-licensed launches and reentries per year by 2035.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the Space Policy Administration, Coordination, and Execution, or SPACE, Task Force on Wednesday, with the body set to coordinate policy across the Department of Transportation.
The task force will be led by Under Secretary Ryan McCormack and includes the FAA alongside DOT offices responsible for legal affairs, research, transportation policy, freight, and international aviation.
“America had 217 of the 329 commercial space launches worldwide in 2025 and we expect that number to soar to 10,000 FAA-licensed launches and reentries yearly by 2035,” Duffy said in announcing the initiative.
Duffy made clear the administration views this as a competition, adding that America should lead the next era of space transportation, “not China.”
The task force will implement a national space transportation policy issued last month, which sets an interim target of more than 1,000 U.S. launches and reentries annually by 2030.
Its directives include faster permitting and environmental reviews, additional spaceports, priority launch corridors, published federal range schedules, and better integration with air-traffic control systems.
Rocket Lab (RKLB), AST SpaceMobile (ASTS), SpaceX (SPCX), and Planet Labs (PL) all came into focus following the announcement, though the four stocks had declined sharply the prior session, with ASTS falling 6%, RKLB and SPCX each dropping 4%, and PL shedding 3%.
SpaceX (SPCX) is most directly exposed to the policy shift, as Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Dragon, and Starship operations all require FAA approvals and airspace closures for each mission.
The announcement comes as SpaceX is reportedly limiting Falcon 9 bookings beyond 2028, has stopped taking future rideshare reservations, and has reduced production of some expendable Falcon components as it pivots toward Starship.
Starship remains nonoperational and has encountered repeated development setbacks, raising the risk that satellite operators could face tighter access to orbit amid a global shortage of heavy-lift rockets.
Rocket Lab (RKLB) could benefit from both faster regulatory approvals and growing demand for alternatives to Falcon 9, as its medium-lift Neutron rocket and Wallops Island pad require federal vehicle and site authorizations.
Faster reviews, expanded infrastructure, and predictable range access could all support Neutron’s entry into commercial service and help RKLB capture customers looking beyond SpaceX’s constrained launch calendar.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) needs frequent missions to deploy its BlueBird direct-to-device satellites and build continuous coverage, making greater launch capacity and predictable scheduling especially valuable to the company.
Planet Labs (PL) similarly relies on commercial launches to replenish its Earth-imaging constellations, and expanded launch supply could improve both access and costs if Falcon 9 availability continues to tighten.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS, RKLB, and SPCX was rated “bearish,” with ASTS and SPCX seeing “low” message volume and RKLB recording “normal” chatter.
PL stood apart from its peers, with sentiment rated “extremely bullish” alongside “extremely high” message volume from retail traders tracking the stock.
Over the past year, PL has surged 91%, ASTS has gained 69%, and RKLB has risen 34%, while SPCX has declined 8% over the same period.
