Trump Announces U.S. Space Command Headquarters Move to Alabama

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared that U.S. Space Command will relocate its permanent headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama, reversing a 2023 decision by the Biden administration to keep the command at Peterson Space Force Base.

In remarks delivered from the Oval Office, Trump hailed the move as “vital to our nation’s defense and economic growth,” noting that Huntsville-home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the Army’s Redstone Arsenal-offers unparalleled expertise in missile defense, satellite operations and space systems development.

Space Command, reestablished as an independent combatant command in 2018, oversees space-based navigation, communications and missile-warning functions for U.S. and allied forces. The command currently employs about 1,700 personnel on an interim basis in Colorado Springs and supports critical operations across the Department of Defense.

Alabama and Colorado had engaged in a four-year contest to host the command, each touting infrastructure capacity, community support and cost considerations. The Air Force’s 2021 site study originally favored Redstone Arsenal, but in 2023 President Biden opted to cement the command’s location in Colorado Springs to minimize readiness disruptions. A Pentagon Inspector General review later found no clear justification for that choice.

Senators and congressional representatives from Alabama swiftly praised the announcement. Governor Kay Ivey called Huntsville “Rocket City” for its historic role in U.S. rocketry and defense innovation, adding that the decision “secures thousands of high-paying jobs and strengthens our nation’s posture in space.”

Colorado officials decried the reversal. Governor Jared Polis said the move “undermines the significant investments Colorado Springs has made” in support facilities and warned of potential readiness gaps during the transition.

The White House said implementation plans, including facility upgrades and personnel transfers, will unfold over the next 18 months. A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed that essential capabilities will remain uninterrupted throughout the relocation process.