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Space Command Picks Alabama, Not Florida, For New Home

U.S. Space Command. Photo: Department of Defense
U.S. Space Command. Photo: Department of Defense

The Air Force is recommending the Army's Redstone Arsenal In Huntsville, Alabama as the new home of Space Command headquarters, not Florida which was in the running.

"I am thrilled that the Air Force has chosen Redstone and look forward to the vast economic impact this will have on Alabama and the benefits this will bring to the Air Force,” said Alabama Republican Senator Richard Shelby.

Florida nominated Patrick Space Force Base in Brevard as a possible home for Space Command, a U.S. combatant command group that streamlines and coordinates all the military’s space-based assets.

A Space Command HQ will bring about 1,400 new jobs — 40 percent uniformed personnel and a four-star general.

“For decades, Florida has been home to American space launch and at the forefront of space innovation and exploration," Republican Congressman Michael Waltz told WMFE in November. "Without a doubt, there is no better place for our new Space Command headquarters than Florida’s Space Coast.”

The Air Force considered bases in Bases in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Nebraska during the selection process.

"I am confident this community is well-positioned for other strategic basing opportunities in the near future and we will continue to work closely with the Air Force, Department of Defense, and our state and local partners to succeed,” said Lynda L. Weatherman, President & CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast.

Brendan Byrne is Central Florida Public Media's Assistant News Director, managing the day-to-day operations of the newsroom, editing daily news stories, and managing the organization's internship program. Byrne also hosts Central Florida Public Media's weekly radio show and podcast "Are We There Yet?" which explores human space exploration, and the weekly news roundup podcast "The Wrap."