Space Command Headquarters to stay in Colorado

Space Command headquarters will stay in Colorado, according to President Joe Biden.

The Department of Defense confirmed the final decision to locate the permanent headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base late Monday, July 31

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“Locating Headquarters U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs ultimately ensures peak readiness in the space domain for our nation during a critical period. It will also enable the command to most effectively plan, execute and integrate military space power into multi-domain global operations in order to deter aggression and defend national interests,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement.

Redstone Arsenal issued a statement supporting the decision.

“Team Redstone supports the administration's final decision regarding Space Command,” Garrison Commander Col. Brian Cozine said. “We remain - and will evolve - as a Federal Center of Excellence with our diverse and synergistic missions involving space, logistics, research and intelligence operations.”

It’s been three years since Redstone Arsenal submitted information to be considered among the contenders as the permanent headquarters of U.S. Space Command.

During that time, the only residents on the almost 60 acres that had been set aside for the facility have been a handful of cows. The cows are part of a land lease program contracted through the Corps of Engineers.

The installation had identified 59.9 acres of land that could have accommodated a list of requirements spelled out in the U.S. Air Force’s environmental assessment that included: about 1,450 personnel; 464,000 square feet of office, administrative and functional interior space across multiple stories; and 402,000 square feet of parking.

Space Command became a unified combatant command, which integrates forces from all branches of the military, on Dec. 18, 2018. Prior to that decision, from 1985 – 2002, Space Command operated from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs until, in October 2002, Space Command merged with the U.S. Strategic Command near Omaha, Nebraska.

In January 2020, Peterson Air Force Base became the provisional headquarters for Space Command, pending the selection of a preferred permanent location.

Peterson was renamed Peterson Space Force Base in 2021.