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(Epoch Times) Space Command is moving to Alabama from Colorado, President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 2.
“I am thrilled to report that the U.S. Space Command headquarters will move to the beautiful locale of a place called Huntsville, Alabama,” the president said at a press conference at the White House.
“We are way ahead in space, but this will ensure we stay leaps and bounds ahead,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added.
Space Command deploys military personnel to space, including personnel from Space Force. It was established by Trump during his first term.
Space Command has operated from Colorado Springs since January 2020.
Alabama officials, including Gov. Kay Ivey, have been urging Trump to move Space Command headquarters to the state.
Trump and Alabama officials said the Huntsville area is ideal because it is already home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, a Blue Origin factory, and contractors such as Lockheed Martin.
“It is the perfect place for Space Command,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said at the briefing.
Tuberville said the move will save taxpayers $480 million, adding that he looked forward to having the site named “The Donald J. Trump Space Command Center.”
Speaking at the White House event, Vice President JD Vance also called the move “visionary.”
Trump said Huntsville works well because it serves as a “command station” in an ideal location, saving crucial time for flights and rockets. He said that four different groups of experts all agreed it was the best location and that he personally favored it, too. He added that although five states competed, Alabama pushed for it the hardest.
“They really wanted it badly, and they got it,” Trump said.
Reps. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and Shomari Figures (D-Ala.) also praised the move.
“Colorado Springs is the appropriate home for U.S. Space Command, and we will take the necessary action to keep it there,” they added later.
Trump also said a factor in his decision was how Colorado employs automatic mail-in voting, which he said shows that officials support dishonesty.