Finalists Named For Permanent U.S. Space Command Headquarters—Here Are The Locations

Topline

U.S. Space Command has whittled its list down to six finalist locations for a permanent headquarters to house outer space operations for the U.S. military, the U.S. Air Force said Thursday.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“Keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs and let us get on with building a stronger U.S. Space Command by not diverting resources to move the command for no good reason,” said Dave Deptula, a former Air Force lieutenant general who currently serves as dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies at the Air Force Academy.

Key Background

In December of 2019, the U.S. Space Force was created to support the existing U.S. Space Command, a unified combatant command responsible for space activities across the branches of the military. U.S. Space Command was relaunched on Aug. 29, 2019 after a nearly 17-year hiatus, and just months before the Space Force launched in December as part of a $738 billion defense spending bill, making it the first new military branch since the Air Force in 1947. Trump and others have lauded the addition as being a proactive move for the U.S. military as space becomes increasingly accessible. The first commissioned personnel were added to the Space Force in April, after graduating from the Air Force Academy. Its first seven recruits were inducted in October, according to the Air Force Times.

What To Watch For 

The Space Force is expected to continue growing under President-elect Joe Biden’s administration, even as some on the political left are urging Biden to cut the new military branch.

Further Reading

Colorado Springs named finalist for U.S. Space Command headquarters (The Denver Post)

Keep U.S. Space Command Where It Is (Forbes)

Space Force gets its first recruits (Air Force Times)

US Space Force Likely to Survive in Biden Administration, Experts Say (Military.com)

Progressives to Biden: Kill Space Force (Politico)