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Huntsville may be the future home for the U.S. Space Force Command Headquarters
On Wednesday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced some big news for the state—Huntsville has been chosen as the preferred site for the future U.S. Space Force Command Headquarters. Read on to learn more.
Announced by SecAF and Gov. Ivey
Earlier this week, the United States Secretary of the Air Force, on behalf of the Office of Secretary of Defense, chose Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal as the preferred location of its future U.S. Space Command Headquarters.
The Pentagon had previously narrowed the search to six locations, based on factors such as infrastructure capacity, community support and associated costs to the Department of Defense:
- Kirtland Air Force Base — Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Offutt Air Force Base — Bellevue, Nebraska
- Patrick Air Force Base — Cape Canaveral, Florida
- Peterson Air Force Base — Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Port San Antonio — San Antonio, Texas
- Redstone Arsenal — Huntsville, Alabama
According to a press release by the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs:
“Huntsville compared favorably across more of these factors than any other community, providing a large, qualified workforce, quality schools, superior infrastructure capacity, and low initial and recurring costs. Additionally, Redstone Arsenal offered a facility to support the headquarters, at no cost, while the permanent facility is being constructed.”
Although Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal remains the preferred location, the decision is not yet set in stone.
What does this mean for Alabama?
If the Rocket City ends up as the new headquarters for the United States Space Force Command, it could mean as many as 1,600 new jobs for the state, according to Space Force. But there is still a long way to go—the Department of the Air Force anticipates making the final decision in Spring 2023. In the meantime, Space Force Command will remain at its temporarily headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. If Huntsville is chosen, Space Force anticipates new headquarters to be complete by 2026.
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