The United States faces ominous space threats from China, Russia, and other adversaries, demanding strategic decisions that bolster national security without disrupting critical operations. Space Command is foundational to countering foreign aggressors, and President Donald Trump could advance its mission while benefiting two regions that have proudly supported him.
The debate over the location of the U.S. Space Command pits Colorado Springs against Huntsville, Alabama. Alabama politicians are pushing to relocate the command with troubling disregard for the dangerous implications of doing so.
Based on statements by Alabama’s Washington delegation and Gov. Kay Ivey (R-AL), it appears Trump might reward the state with Space Command for supporting him in the last three elections. Doing so would reverse a decision by former President Joe Biden to keep the command in Colorado — a decision that reversed Trump’s first-term order to move it to Huntsville.
This is how politics works, but moving Space Command would be costly and risky. It would undermine Trump’s noble efforts to strengthen national security and reduce needless government spending. There is a better solution to this dilemma: Trump rewards Alabama and metro Colorado Springs, which supported him by large margins in all three elections, while honoring his pledge to waste less and enhance national security.
Instead of moving Space Command from Colorado Springs, where it functions at full capacity, Trump could move Space Systems Command from Los Angeles to Huntsville. This would ensure operational continuity, leverage Alabama’s strengths, righteously snub far-left Southern California, and serve our country’s defense interests.
Space Command, reestablished in Colorado Springs by Trump in 2019, achieved full operational capability in December 2023. Relocating it would cost over $1 billion, disrupt readiness, and face resistance from a civilian workforce unlikely to move.
Colorado Springs is home to Peterson Space Force Base, the Air Force Academy, Space Force, Northern Command, and other critical space-oriented military operations. It is the perfect ecosystem for Space Command’s role.
Additionally, the Colorado Springs metro area hosts more than 80 aerospace companies, including Lockheed Martin and Boeing, and supports 24,000 defense-related jobs that contribute $4.3 billion annually to the economy. Space Command’s proximity to Northern Command and Schriever Space Force Base enables seamless coordination, which is critical for defending U.S. space assets against growing threats. Moving Space Command risks a dangerous delay in readiness.
Conversely, relocating Space Systems Command from LA to Huntsville aligns with Alabama’s economic and technological strengths, enhancing national security. Space Systems Command — responsible for developing and acquiring Space Force rockets, satellites, and ground systems — is burdened by LA’s high cost of living and diminishing quality of life.
Huntsville, where living costs are 20% lower than in LA, is more attractive to military and civilian employees. Alabama’s industrial base, anchored by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the Missile Defense Agency at Redstone Arsenal, would complement Space Systems Command’s mission more than Space Command’s.
For Alabama, Space Systems Command would outpace Space Command in delivering economic growth.
As for political rewards and paybacks, moving Space Systems Command would be another big win for Trump. While Los Angeles County voters trounced Trump in his three presidential bids, Colorado Springs and El Paso County, where Space Command lives, supported him by margins as high as 50%.
Unlike Space Command, Space Systems Command’s technical focus poses lower security risks during relocation. Huntsville’s central location facilitates collaboration with coast-to-coast commercial space firms, accelerating development to counter threats.
LOGIC AND LETHALITY DEMANDS SPACE COMMAND STAY IN COLORADO
This compromise would preserve Space Command’s operational edge in Colorado Springs, where it is fully mission-ready. It would better position Huntsville as a hub for space innovation. This compromise would avoid the $1 billion cost and workforce upheaval of moving Space Command. It would reward Trump-supporting Alabama and Colorado Springs, while reducing costs for Space Systems Command and the operation’s workforce.
Congress and Trump should back this plan for national defense. Doing so ensures that both states — and the entire country — flourish in the safety, security, and peace that Trump works to advance.
