President Trump announces Space Command is moving from Colorado to Alabama

FILE – Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, Commander U.S. Space Command, left, and Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, right, hold the flag as President Donald Trump gestures, during the presentation of the Space Force Flag in the Oval Office of the White House, May 15, 2020, in Washington. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett stands far left. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

President Trump has announced that U.S. Space Command will be located in Huntsville, reversing a Biden-era decision to keep it at its temporary headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Gov. Kay Ivey released this statement, saying in part:

“The Redstone Arsenal region was ready to welcome Space Command Headquarters when I made the official pitch to the Defense secretary in June 2019, and it remains ready today to not only welcome Headquarters, but to welcome all of the military personnel and their families.

“I commend Redstone and city of Huntsville leaders for their diligence in maintaining a mission-ready stance. I also applaud our entire Congressional delegation – Republicans and Democrats – especially Congressman Mike Rogers as chairman of the House Armed Service Committee. As our history shows, Alabama always stands ready to support the defense of our great nation, and Huntsville continues proving the Rocket City is truly ‘Space Central.”’

Space Command’s functions include conducting operations like enabling satellite-based navigation and troop communication and providing warning of missile launches.

Alabama and Colorado have long battled to claim Space Command because it has significant implications for the local economy. The site also has been a political prize, with elected officials from both Alabama and Colorado asserting their state is the better location.

Huntsville, nicknamed Rocket City, has long been home to the Army’s Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command is also located in Huntsville, which drew its nickname because of its role in building the first rockets for the U.S. space program.

The announcement caps a four-year back-and-forth on the location of Space Command.

The Air Force in 2021 identified Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville as the preferred location for the new U.S. Space Command. The city was picked after site visits to six states that compared factors such as infrastructure capacity, community support and costs to the Defense Department.

Then-President Joe Biden in 2023 announced Space Command would be permanently located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which had been serving as its temporary headquarters. Biden’s Democratic administration said that keeping the command in Colorado Springs would avoid a disruption in readiness.

A review by the Defense Department inspector general was inconclusive and could not determine why Colorado was chosen over Alabama. Trump enjoys deep support in Alabama and had long been expected to move Space Command back to Alabama..

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