On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, former President Donald Trump announced the relocation of the U.S. Space Command headquarters from its current base at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama. This unexpected decision overturns the 2023 Biden administration’s choice to keep the command in Colorado and revives Trump’s original plan from his first term in office to permanently establish the headquarters in Alabama.
Trump made the announcement at an event in Alabama, expressing enthusiasm for the move and highlighting his electoral victory in the state as a point of pride, though he dismissed any political influence on the decision. He criticized Colorado for its mail-in voting system, claiming it leads to “automatically crooked elections,” a claim contradicted by multiple audits verifying Colorado’s election security.
President Trump said, “I am thrilled to report that the U.S. Space Command Headquarters will move to the beautiful locale of a place called Huntsville, Alabama,” as he stood alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Alabama lawmakers. Senate Republican Tommy Tuberville praised the move, hinting at the possibility of naming the new facility the “Donald J. Trump Space Command Center.” Alabama Representative Dale Strong estimated that construction of the new headquarters would take approximately 14 to 18 months.
The U.S. Space Command was reestablished in 2018 by Trump and has been operating from Colorado since achieving full operational capacity in late 2023. During President Joe Biden’s administration, the decision was reversed to keep the headquarters in Colorado, citing military readiness concerns. Biden’s administration reported that moving the command to Alabama could jeopardize operational readiness, as noted by Army Gen. James Dickinson, then U.S. Space Command commander. Additionally, a Defense Department inspector general’s report stated that the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville would be the Air Force’s preferred location but highlighted that building equivalent facilities to those in Colorado could take three to four years.
The announcement has sparked a significant political and legal backlash from Colorado. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser vowed to challenge the move, calling it an “unlawful decision.” The state’s officials and economic leaders have underscored the substantial economic impact the command has in Colorado Springs, where it supports nearly 1,400 jobs and approximately $1 billion in annual economic activity. Colorado is also recognized as a leading state for aerospace industry employment and investment, boasting a record $38 billion in aerospace investment in 2024.
Local officials from Colorado Springs expressed concern about operational disruption, with Mayor Yemi Mobolade stating the move “threatens operational continuity at a time when space-related threats are only increasing.” This long-standing dispute over the Space Command headquarters’ permanent home reflects deep-rooted regional and partisan tensions.
Huntsville, known as “Rocket City” for its historic ties to U.S. space and missile programs, including the Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, has long been a leading contender to host the command. Alabama lawmakers view the relocation as a major strategic and economic victory for the state, promising the creation of more than 30,000 jobs and significant federal investments.
As the debate intensifies, no official timeline for the physical relocation beyond the estimated construction period has been provided. The move signifies not only a shift in military posture but also an emblematic chapter in the broader political contest between Colorado and Alabama, and between the Trump and Biden administrations regarding space defense policy.