An extensive 54-page report released by the Department of Defense is adding the latest ripple to a growing debate over where the U.S. Space Command should establish permanent headquarters.
For months on end interested parties have weighed in on whether the headquarters should be officially set up at the Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, or within the boundaries of the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
In January of 2021, the Air Force announced that it preferred to have the Space Command in Huntsville. Alabama Republican Congressman Mike Rogers has since declared that having the Command in Huntsville would potentially save taxpayers upwards of $420 million.
Roughly two years later, the Biden Administration moved to have the Command permanently established in Colorado Springs, noting that more than 20 of the military’s space missions were already based there.
The new Defense Department report notes that building operational facilities in Huntsville with the “same capacity, connectivity, and security as those already in use in Colorado Springs would take 3 to 4 years.”
Even though most insiders expect that the Space Command will finally be headquartered in Huntsville, a host of Colorado elected officials are continuing to argue in favor of Colorado Springs.
In a joint letter sent to President Trump, members of the Colorado congressional delegation note the number of Command activities already taking place in Colorado Springs and assert that “moving the Command would disrupt these established capabilities and partnerships, further diminishing our preparedness to face evolving threats.”
The report additionally suggests that the Command could face the loss of up to 1,000 civilians, contractors, and reservists currently working in Colorado Springs should Huntsville win the final nod.
From the opposite perspective, Representative Rogers has issued a statement saying that the new Defense Department report “confirms that the Trump Administration was correct in selecting Huntsville” as the site of the Command base.
Rogers has further remarked that he expects a final decision to be made before the end of the month.
April 24, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Logo of Space Command
