Why Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal was chosen for Space Command HQ
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Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios; Photo: William DeShazer for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Redstone Arsenal will be home to U.S. Space Command headquarters in Huntsville, after years of political wrangling over the command's home base.
Why it matters: The move, announced Tuesday, spurred criticism and threats of legal action, but proponents point to multiple federal evaluations that ranked Huntsville as the best choice and deemed a potential move lawful.
- The relocation means Space Command will no longer be based in Colorado Springs, reversing a Biden administration decision. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said his office is "prepared to challenge" the relocation in court.
- In a statement, Colorado Democratic Party chair Shad Murib accused President Trump of moving Space Command "out of pure political spite."
- "This endangers thousands of jobs and billions in economic impact to the Pikes Peak Region and the larger defense and aerospace industry," Murib said.
Catch up quick: The U.S. Air Force identified Huntsville as its preferred choice in 2021.
- Its selection process led to recommendations from the Government Accountability Office and Department of Defense Inspector General, which found the process complied with the law and "was reasonable."
- A reevaluation in 2023 by the Air Force revalidated the decision to name Huntsville the preferred site, and a second GAO review noted efforts to address shortcomings from the first evaluation.
Zoom in: An environmental assessment of six potential Space Command headquarters published in 2022 compared sites and effects at the various locations.
- The Redstone site, identified as the Air Force's preferred alternative, is just under 60 acres of current pasture along Toftoy Thruway between Marshall and Neal roads.
By the numbers: According to the GAO report reviewing the Air Force's evaluation of potential locations, building a Redstone headquarters would save $426 million over 15 years compared with staying in Colorado.
- As of fall 2024, per the report, Space Command had not reached full staffing of its 1,379 positions, having filled 1,024 of them, not including contractors.
- As of March, Space Command was operating out of four separate buildings in Colorado Springs: two that reside on military installations and two leased in commercial and residential areas.
Context: For the Air Force, Huntsville offers "a large, qualified workforce, quality schools, superior infrastructure capacity, and low initial and recurring costs," it said in 2021.
What they're saying: U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who represents east Alabama's District 3 and is chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement to Axios that Space Command is "coming home to Alabama."
- "This basing decision has been affirmed and reaffirmed by multiple agencies and multiple officials throughout both the Trump and Biden administrations," he said.