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US Space Command headquarters to be located in Huntsville

 

Alabama's Rocket City will soon be named the home for the U.S. Space Command headquarters. 

Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement that the Army's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville will house the headquarters, where operations such as satellite-based navigation and troop communication will be conducted.

The U.S. Space Command is separate from the Space Force, which is a distinct military service.

Other sites considered for the headquarters were New Mexico, Nebraska, Texas, Florida and Colorado.

Officials from Colorado have said that military officials had recommended to President Donald Trump that the headquarters should remain at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, but they were "overruled for politically motivated reasons," though they did not specify the reasons. 

"This move threatens jobs, could cause serious economic damage, and upend the lives of hundreds of military and civilian families that were counting on the U.S. Space Command staying home in Colorado Springs as well as harm military readiness," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis nad Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera said in a statement.

Rep. Doug Lamborn urged President-elect Joe Biden in a letter to reverse the decision opon taking office. In the letter he also said moving Space Command from Colorado would "damage America's national security" while Russia and China are actively competing with the U.S.'s space capabilities.

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