Rep. Strong says "Space Command is coming" to Huntsville
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
U.S. Rep. Dale Strong said he has no doubts of an imminent announcement. Photo: Derek Lacey/Axios
U.S. Space Command is coming to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, Rep. Dale Strong said Wednesday.
Why it matters: Space Command, one of the Department of Defense's unified combatant commands and currently headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, would bring jobs and investment to Huntsville and, Strong said, bolster national security.
- Strong said that he's "100% sure" Space Command is coming to Redstone and that his office will do everything it can to make sure that the bulk of Golden Dome operations are housed in Huntsville, too.
- "In the weeks ahead it will be announced," Strong said Wednesday at a Huntsville/Madison County Chamber event in Huntsville. "I have no reservation, Space Command is coming to Redstone Arsenal."
- Strong said that he discussed it with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office less than two weeks ago and that the Alabama delegation has been in contact with the White House about it within the last 24 hours.
- U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville has repeatedly indicated that plans are underway to move Space Command to Huntsville. He recently told reporters it's "not if, but when it happens, and that will be soon."
What they're saying: "Redstone is what's best for national security," Strong said. "Not only do we believe that, the Inspector General believes it, the GAO believe it, and President Trump believes it."
- According to a report from the Government Accountability Office, released in late May, an initial analysis found that moving to Huntsville would be $426 million cheaper over a 15-year period than keeping Space Command in Colorado, something Strong stressed Wednesday.
- Strong also recalled an earlier decision to relocate Space Command to Redstone in 2021. In 2023, President Biden overturned that decision, opting to keep it in Colorado Springs.
- Space Command and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Context: The news also comes amid reports of thousands of NASA personnel leaving their jobs voluntarily, including at the Marshall Space Flight Center at Redstone Arsenal.
- "You're always going to be concerned about any time you have those that leave," Strong said. "But those are the ones that have trained the next generation of propulsion scientists."
- Touting appropriations for key NASA programs based in Huntsville, Strong, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and vice chair of its Commerce, Science and Justice Subcommittee, said early iterations of the federal budget were nonstarters.
The bottom line: "We're ready," Strong said. "Space Command is coming."
Editor's note: This story has been updated to remove an incorrect reference by Strong to the Congressional Budget Office as the source of early iterations of the federal budget.