China The U.S. government should be more like China when it comes to regulating space launches, the president and chief operating officer of SpaceX said Tuesday. “I do think we need to rethink very quickly the regulatory regime for space launch and space comms and other space capability to make sure that regulation, which is important…needs to keep up with technology,” Gwynne Shotwell said during an event at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. The Chinese government doesn’t restrict space launches, Shotwell said, complimenting China’s “extraordinary” work ethic and how all parts of their government support technology development. “I never hear Chinese companies complaining about Chinese regulatory regime, right? I think it's quite the opposite, right? I think the government is incredibly helpful to push those technologies forward fast, so I think that's a lesson that we need to learn as well,” Shotwell said. Elon Musk has been a vocal critic of the Federal Aviation Administration’s slow pace, complaining about delays and fines the company has faced while obtaining a launch license for Starship, the company’s new mega-rocket. Now, as Musk seems to have president-elect Trump’s ear and has been chosen to co-lead a government efficiency project, experts believe incoming officials will change the way the FAA regulates launches—and possibly trim regulations to increase launch speed. Related articles