U.S. Space Command Headquarters May Land In Alabama

By Dustin Jones / NPR

Published January 13, 2021 at 3:48 PM PST

This story was published more than 3 years ago.

President Trump presedisplays the U.S. Space Force flag in the Oval Office last May. The new command plans to move its headquarters from a temporary location in Colorado to Alabama in 2023.

The U.S. Space Command selected Huntsville, Ala., as the preferred location for its headquarters Wednesday. Space Command, a department of the Air Force, is provisionally based in Colorado, but it has conducted virtual and on-site visits to six possible contenders to host the nation's newest military branch.

Redstone Arsenal, an Army installation in Huntsville, got the nod. Space Command evaluated potential sites based on factors related to mission, infrastructure, community support and cost, an Air Force news release announced.

Redstone Arsenal was favored because it provides a large, qualified workforce, quality schools and superior infrastructure capacity. Additionally, the Army installation offered a facility free of charge until a permanent structure is built.

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"The Department of the Air Force anticipates making a final decision for the location of US Space Command Headquarters in spring 2023, pending the results from the required environmental impact analysis," the release said.

The command has also looked at Albuquerque, N.M., Bellevue, Neb., Cape Canaveral, Fla., Colorado Springs, Colo., and San Antonio, Texas.