WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Command headquarters appears poised to be moving to Huntsville after Alabama Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt talked with President Donald Trump about relocating it from Colorado this week.
Tuberville expressed confidence Thursday that North Alabama will soon be home to SPACECOM, which could bring to a close the years-long saga over where the permanent headquarters should be located.
“I know we’re all excited about getting Space Command to Redstone Arsenal once and for all,” Tuberville told reporters. “This week, I’ve spent several hours on the phone and several hours in the Oval Office with President Trump and Secretary Hegseth talking about the future of Space Command, not if, but when it happens, and that will be soon.”
House Armed Services Chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, has pushed for Space Command to be located at Redstone Arsenal from the start.
“Throughout my regular calls with (the Secretary of Defense) and the White House, everyone has agreed: President Trump’s choice, Huntsville, won fair and square,” Rogers said in a statement to Alabama Daily News.
Britt also talked with Trump about SPACECOM this week and similarly expects a decision to move it to Redstone Arsenal to be forthcoming. Also on Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Matthew Lohmeier to be the Under Secretary of the Air Force. Troy Meink was confirmed to lead the U.S. Air Force in May, which Britt and Tuberville repeatedly said was a key step to getting an announcement on Space Command.
“The State of Alabama, the city of Huntsville and Madison County have all done their detailed coordination,” Tuberville said Thursday. “We’re excited to seal the deal once and for all.”
The command directs military space operations, from communications and intelligence gathering to missile defense and radar.
The Air Force named Redstone Arsenal the preferred location for the headquarters in 2021. But President Joe Biden announced in 2023 that the headquarters would remain in Colorado Springs, which was serving as the temporary home for the command, citing the need for military readiness.
Two reports were released earlier this year detailing the back-and-forth debate between defense officials about where Space Command headquarters should be located. The Department of Defense Inspector General report revealed concerns over military readiness and losing workers due to a relocation were linked to the decision to keep the headquarters in Colorado instead of moving it to Huntsville.
A Government Accountability Office report released at the end of May found the headquarters in Colorado faced ongoing challenges with facilities and staff that impeded the establishment of a full headquarters there.
U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, is also optimistic. He said he’s ready for a final decision after those reports showed Huntsville remained the best location. Strong said he’s had multiple conversations with Trump about SPACECOM. He pointed to a moment he had with the president in June at the Congressional Picnic, captured on video, which showed Trump saying, “Because I’m moving it to Alabama.”
“Let’s do what’s right for national security,” Strong told Alabama Daily News Monday. “Let’s award it to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama and I trust that the president agrees with that. And I feel more than comfortable that this will be coming in the short term.”
“We know the best place for U.S. Space Command is behind the fence at Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville,” Tuberville said. “That hasn’t changed in four years through countless investigations, reports, and it certainly hasn’t changed in the last 48 hours.”
This story has been updated.