Outer Space contamination: The Final Frontier of Deregulation 

        Space pollution has become an increasingly important environmental issue, although it often receives less attention than other forms of pollution. It refers to the accumulation of objects created by humans that no longer serve a purpose in orbit, including inactive satellites, rocket stages, and fragments created by explosions or collisions (European Space Agency, 2025). Even though this type of pollution cannot be easily seen from Earth, it creates serious risks for the satellites that support communication, navigation, and climate observation around the world. The main causes of this problem are the rapid expansion of the commercial space sector, the launch of large satellite constellations, and the growing number of rocket launches and reentries.

        One of the greatest concerns is the increasing amount of debris in the area closest to earth, which raises the chance of collisions between objects. As more debris accumulates, there is a higher risk of creating the Kessler syndrome, a situation in which each collision produces additional fragments that lead to even more collisions, making some orbital regions difficult or impossible to use (European Space Agency, 2025). In addition, when rockets and satellite debris reenter the atmosphere, they release metallic particles and other combustion byproducts that may affect the ozone layer and contribute to changes in atmospheric and climate processes (Ryan et al., 2022).

        In this context, public policy plays an important role in reducing the environmental impacts of space activities. Actions such as requiring the safe disposal of satellites at the end of their missions, evaluating the environmental effects of launches, and strengthening international cooperation to monitor orbital debris can help prevent space from becoming increasingly congested. Governments can also support programs that improve space situational awareness and promote the removal of existing debris. Together, these actions contribute not only to the long-term sustainability of space operations but also to the protection of the atmosphere and climate, which are becoming more closely connected to human activities in space.

        Space governance in the United States is based on three main pillars: international agreements, federal oversight, and voluntary technical guidelines adopted by the space industry. This framework seeks to promote the safe and sustainable use of outer space while supporting commercial innovation. Federal agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversee different aspects of space activities, complementing international commitments and industry standards.

        However, the rapid growth of orbital debris has become one of the greatest challenges to this governance system. According to the European Space Agency (ESA, 2025), approximately 40,000 objects are actively tracked, including around 11,000 active satellites. The total debris population is much larger, with more than 1.2 million objects larger than 1 centimeter and over 50,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters orbiting Earth. In addition, more than three human-made objects re-enter Earth's atmosphere every day on average (ESA, 2025).

       The ESA also warns that even if all space launches stopped today, the amount of orbital debris would continue to increase for more than 200 years. Existing objects would keep colliding and producing new fragments faster than natural forces can remove them from orbit, creating a long-term sustainability challenge (ESA, 2025).

      The legal basis for addressing this issue dates back several decades. The Outer Space Treaty (1967) established that States are internationally responsible for their national space activities, while the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) issued voluntary Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines in 2002 to encourage responsible satellite operations and disposal.

     Despite these concerns, the Trump administration argued that excessive regulation reduced innovation and commercial competitiveness. Its 2025 Executive Order promoted a more market-oriented approach to space governance, emphasizing economic growth and reduced regulatory barriers for the U.S. commercial space sector (The White House, 2025).

        During the Trump administration, U.S. space policy increasingly emphasized deregulation as a strategy to accelerate commercial growth and reassert American leadership in orbit. In August 2025, the administration issued Executive Order 14335, "Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry," which directed the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Federal Aviation Administration, to use all available authority to eliminate or expedite environmental reviews required for launch and reentry licenses (The White House, 2025). According to the order, this measure was intended to substantially increase launch cadence and enable novel space activities by 2030. However, these environmental reviews, conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act, have traditionally served as a key tool for assessing the atmospheric and ecological impact of rocket launches before they are approved.

      In December 2025, a second executive order, "Ensuring American Space Superiority," went further still. Among other changes, it revoked the National Space Council and revised Space Policy Directive-3, eliminating the long-standing requirement that government-provided space traffic data, including the information used to track and avoid orbital debris, be offered free of charge (Holland & Knight, 2025). As a result, commercial satellite operators may now be required to pay for the very data that helps prevent collisions and new fragmentation events.

        The administration also pursued a broader institutional restructuring of U.S. space governance, expanding the role of the Department of Commerce in acquisition decisions and prioritizing commercial, fixed-price contracting models over traditional federal oversight. At the same time, the administration proposed steep cuts to NASA's budget for fiscal year 2026, including a 24 percent reduction to the agency's overall budget and a 47 percent cut to its science programs (Council on Foreign Relations, 2025). Together, these reforms reflected a regulatory philosophy that prioritized speed, commercial access, and national competitiveness, while reducing the federal government's direct role in environmental monitoring and debris oversight.

        Policy changes in the United States space sector associated with the Trump administration have increasingly prioritized the expansion of commercial space activities through deregulation and the reduction of administrative barriers. According to The White House (2025), recent policy efforts aim to enable greater competition in the commercial space industry by streamlining licensing processes, reducing regulatory delays, and facilitating faster access to space for private actors. These measures are intended to strengthen innovation and economic growth within the U.S. space sector.

        However, from the perspective of outer space contamination, these policy shifts raise significant environmental concerns. The acceleration of commercial launches and satellite deployments contributes to a growing density of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO), increasing the risk of collisions and the accumulation of space debris. The European Space Agency (2025) highlights that the orbital environment is becoming increasingly congested, with inactive satellites and fragmentation debris representing a major threat to the long-term sustainability of space activities.

        In addition, deregulation has been identified as a key factor shaping the current governance approach to space activities. Greenberg Traurig (2025) explains that executive actions supporting commercial space development include efforts to accelerate launch approvals and reduce regulatory requirements. While these changes enhance efficiency and competitiveness, they may also weaken environmental oversight mechanisms that are essential for preventing long-term orbital contamination.

      Concerns about the weakening of environmental safeguards are also emphasized by the Center for Space Environmentalism (2025), which argues that reducing environmental review standards for launch sites could undermine efforts to ensure responsible space operations. In particular, the organization warns that insufficient regulation may limit the effectiveness of debris mitigation strategies and increase the risks associated with the rapid expansion of space activity.

       Overall, the policy changes linked to the Trump administration reflect a broader tension between economic expansion and environmental sustainability in outer space. While deregulation and commercialization policies promote innovation and industry growth, they also contribute to rising concerns about space contamination. As orbital traffic continues to increase, the need for stronger governance frameworks becomes more urgent to ensure the long-term usability and safety of outer space.

            The deregulation of the commercial space sector under the Trump administration aligns with a broader systemic pattern observed across air, water, and soil protections, where federal oversight is systematically reduced to prioritize commercial efficiency and corporate speed over long-term environmental safeguards. By treating outer space as the next frontier of deregulation, current policies risk replicating the same ecological market failures on an orbital scale.

      This approach introduces a central geopolitical and technical contradiction. While executive actions explicitly mandate the preservation of "American Space Superiority," the administration simultaneously proposed a devastating 24 percent reduction to NASA's overall budget and a 47 percent cut to its science programs. Industry analysts and scientific communities increasingly question how the United States can assert strategic dominance while actively dismantling the domestic technical capacity required to monitor, understand, and secure its own orbital environment.

        Ultimately, while dismantling administrative barriers and commodifying space traffic data may accelerate short-term commercial launch cadences, it fundamentally jeopardizes the foundational frameworks that have kept Earth's orbit usable for decades. Given that fragmentation will drive debris growth for over two centuries even if all launches ceased today, a purely market-driven approach is ecologically unsustainable. Outer space, much like the planet's atmosphere and oceans, is a finite global commons; treating it as a zone of total deregulation risks triggering a catastrophic Kessler syndrome that no commercial entity possesses the incentive or the capability to clean up.

References:

European Space Agency (ESA). (2025). ESA Space Environment Report 2025. https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/ESA_Space_Environment_Report_2025

Ryan, R. G., Marais, E. A., Balhatchet, C. J., & Eastham, S. D. (2022). Impact of rocket launch and space debris air pollutant emissions on stratospheric ozone and global climate. Earth's Future. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002612

The White House. (2025, December 18). Executive Order: Ensuring American Space Superiority. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/ensuring-american-space-superiority/ 

Holland & Knight. (2025, December 23). White House releases executive order on "Ensuring American Space Superiority." https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2025/12/white-house-releases-executive-order-on-ensuring-american-space 

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). (2025, December 23). Trump wants to reset U.S. space policy to assure dominance. His new plan needs work. https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/trump-wants-reset-us-space-policy-assure-dominance-his-new-plan-needs-work

Greenberg Traurig. (2025). Executive Order aims to accelerate commercial space development through deregulation. https://www.gtlaw.com/en/insights/2025/10/executive-order-aims-to-accelerate-commercial-space-development-through-deregulation

Center for Space Environmentalism. (2025, 15 august). Opposes weakening U.S. environmental review standards for launch sites. https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/positions/us-launch-site-nepa-eo

The White House. (2025). Fact sheet: President Donald J. Trump enables competition in the commercial space industry. https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/08/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-d-trump-enables-competition-in-the-commercial-space-industry/