WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink Tuesday, paving the way for the potential Space Command headquarters relocation to Huntsville.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., said Alabama’s delegation believes “without a doubt” that the decision to move the headquarters to Redstone Arsenal will happen “really soon.” Lawmakers said confirming the secretary was the last hurdle before an expected announcement.
“(I) look forward to immediate conversation about assessing the data in front of us, which clearly says that Huntsville is the best place and home for Space Command, and then getting that transition rolling,” Britt told Alabama Daily News.
Meink was confirmed with bipartisan support Tuesday afternoon by a vote of 74-25. Alabama lawmakers have consistently pointed to his confirmation as a critical piece of the puzzle to getting an official announcement of a move from Colorado to Huntsville.
“It is huge for Alabama,” Britt told ADN.
Meink emphasized the need to further invest in space during his nomination hearing in March. Trump nominated him for the position in January.
A recent Department of Defense Inspector General report again showed Redstone Arsenal was the preferred location for the headquarters despite possible risks to military readiness that could come from a move.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said the state is now closer to getting the headquarters.
“The third (Air Force Secretary) in a row that will probably say it needs to be in Huntsville,” Tuberville told ADN.
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle previously told Alabama Daily News the city would work quickly to help support the efforts of getting a facility for the headquarters operational.
The Air Force named Redstone Arsenal the preferred location for the headquarters in 2021. President Joe Biden announced in 2023 that the headquarters would remain in Colorado Springs, which was serving as the temporary home for it, citing the need for military readiness. Alabama lawmakers have been fighting to bring it to the state ever since.
Meink was most recently the principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, which is responsible for spy satellites, and previously served as deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for Space.