It has been more than two years since the United States Space Command (SPACECOM) achieved its full operational capability in December 2023. The 11th and newest combatant command – established on August 29, 2019 – now has the staff and plans to handle the mission of conducting space operations and protecting U.S. and allied assets in space.
While it was created to monitor space activity and threats, support other military units with space capabilities like communications and surveillance, respond to crises involving space, deter aggression, and defeat enemies if needed – its biggest fight might be over its headquarters.
In July 2023, then-President Joe Biden said that the headquarters would remain at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado Springs, reversing plans made under the former Trump Administration to move it to Redstone Arsenal, in Huntsville, AL. However, with a change in the White House, there are now calls from Alabama lawmakers to move the HQ to the Heart of Dixie.
Alabama’s Rep. Mike Rogers and Senator Tommy Tuberville have been vocal about seeing the command moved to Huntsville, and have predicted it is now a matter of when, not if, such an announcement could be made.
“Moving Space Command from Colorado to Alabama is a solution in search of a problem. There’s no cogent reason to disrupt combat readiness – other than to deliver a political sop to Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers,” Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of The National Interest and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, told ClearanceJobs.
Pros for Space Command HQ in Huntsville
The Redstone Arsenal was originally selected as the preferred final location for the command, edging out Kirtland Air Force Base, Offutt Air Force Base, Joint Base San Antonio, and Patrick Space Force Base, as well as its interim location at Peterson.
However, as soon as Huntsville was selected, there was pushback from lawmakers in Colorado and New Mexico, who were not so happy their respective states were passed over.
“The decision stems from a combination of strategic, logistical, and operational factors. Huntsville, known as ‘The Rocket City, has a long history in space and missile defense, making it a strong contender for housing USSPACECOM,” explained geopolitical analyst Irina Tsukerman, president of threat assessment firm Scarab Rising.
She told ClearanceJobs there are several reasons why the move to Huntsville could be more than just politics at play. Chief among them is the proximity to space and missile defense expertise.
“Huntsville is home to key players in the U.S. space and defense sectors, including NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal. The city has a deep pool of expertise in space and missile defense, which is essential for the operations of USSPACECOM,” Tsukerman suggested.
Its strategic location is another consideration.
“Huntsville’s geographic location is considered advantageous for missile defense and space operations. The city is centrally located in the U.S., which helps ensure operational flexibility and rapid response times for space and defense needs,” she added.
The Rocket City already has extensive infrastructure to support military and defense operations, including secure facilities, advanced technology, and defense contractors. Such infrastructure could be relatively easy to scale up to meet the requirements of USSPACECOM.
Then there is the defense industry growth that the location could offer.
“The area has seen significant growth in the defense and aerospace sectors, with private industry and government agencies both investing heavily,” said Tsukerman. “Moving USSPACECOM to Huntsville would help capitalize on this growth and foster further collaboration between military and private industry players in space and defense.”
A Space Hub on the Gulf Coast
Any decision to relocate USSPACECOM will still be influenced by political considerations, but many of the same factors were at play when the Biden Administration called for the HQ to remain in Colorado. Several U.S. military commanders had even voiced their preference to keep SPACECOM at Peterson AFB, rather than uprooting it and interfering with space operations. Currently, about 64% of SPACECOM’s authorized personnel are in place in Colorado.
Still, Alabama has worked hard to position itself as a hub for defense and space industries, and local politicians have pushed for the move to bolster economic development in the region.
“There is another political factor, which is that the Republican administration is looking to decentralize military and other government agencies and institutions. During his first term in office, Trump made efforts to move certain government agencies out of Washington, D.C., as part of its broader strategy to decentralize federal operations and reduce the concentration of government power in the nation’s capital,” said Tsukerman. “This initiative was tied to broader political and economic goals, such as reducing costs, fostering regional economic development, and aligning agencies more closely with the communities they serve.”
That included the Relocation of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and a general push for decentralization.
“These considerations are also coming into play alongside more general factors,” said Tsukerman, “As the administration to reestablish continuity in some areas in terms of its approach to administrative tasks.”
