In January 2021, the Trump Administration announced its intention to move the U.S. Space Command Headquarters from Peterson Air Force Base, outside of Colorado Springs, CO to Redstone Arsenal, an Army installation in Huntsville, Alabama. (See link below.)
On July 31, 2023, after months of deliberation, President Joe Biden announced he had selected Colorado Springs as the permanent location of the U.S. Space Command Headquarters.
“Locating Headquarters U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs ultimately ensures peak readiness in the space domain for our nation during a critical period.”
— Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said that Biden’s decision was made “following a deliberate evaluation” and after consultation with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
“Locating Headquarters U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs ultimately ensures peak readiness in the space domain for our nation during a critical period,” Ryder said. “It will also enable the command to most effectively plan, execute and integrate military spacepower into multi-domain global operations in order to deter aggression and defend national interests.”
“This is great news for Colorado and our national security — keeping U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs is an exciting outcome for our state, military families, jobs, and businesses,” commented Governor Jared Polis. “This thoughtful and correct decision guarantees operational success for decades to come and improves our national defense. I personally advocated for Space Command to remain in Colorado with the former President and current administration. I am grateful to the strong, bipartisan coalition of leaders from across Colorado who never wavered in our commitment to keeping Space Command in our state and national defense.
“Colorado’s unique aerospace strengths provide the innovation and commitment to service necessary to ensure our national security, especially during such a critical moment,” he added.
“U.S. Space Command has flawlessly executed its mission in Colorado Springs since day one, and we celebrate the decision to keep U.S. Space Command in its rightful home, where reports show U.S. Space Command can achieve Full Operational Capability faster and at a lower cost than anywhere else,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera, who serves as the co-chair of the Colorado Space Coalition.
Gov. Polis and Lt. Gov. Primavera worked closely with Colorado’s federal delegation and local leaders over the past three years to advocate for Colorado Springs as the rightful home of U.S. Space Command, which included meetings with Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and other senior members of the Biden Administration, as well as open letters to former President Trump, President Biden, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
In January 2021, the Trump Administration announced its intention to move the U.S. Space Command headquarters from Peterson Air Force Base, outside of Colorado Springs, CO to Redstone Arsenal, an Army installation in Huntsville, Alabama.
Read the rest of the January 2021 announcement here.
Colorado is the epicenter of national security space, employing over 274,000 people statewide. Under the Polis-Primavera administration, Colorado continues to lead the nation in employment in the private aerospace industry per capita, with Coloradans working at the forefront of aerospace innovation and collaboration across the commercial, national security, and civil space sectors.
