Department of the Air Force expands potential basing locations for US Space Command Headquarters

With the establishment of the United States Space Force, the Department of the Air Force, in coordination with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, is announcing its revised approach for determining the permanent location of U.S. Space Command headquarters.

The revised approach considers the newly established U.S. Space Force emerging organizational structure and analyzes its effects on the limited number of highly specialized personnel and infrastructure required to support both the Space Force and Space Command. Additionally, the approach expands the number of locations eligible for consideration to host the permanent U.S. Space Command headquarters, and provides a comprehensive and transparent analysis before selecting a final location.

Today, the Department is releasing the screening and evaluation criteria, which will increase the number of locations eligible for consideration. The Department is providing communities that meet the screening criteria an opportunity to nominate themselves as potential candidate locations by following the process outlined in a letter from the Department of the Air Force to the nation’s governors which includes a nomination form and screening and evaluation criteria.

The potential candidates will receive additional information from the Air Force as part of the process for assessing their suitability to host the U.S. Space Command headquarters, based on the approved requirements and evaluation criteria.

Colorado Springs, Colorado, remains the location for the provisional headquarters for U.S. Space Command until a permanent headquarters location is selected and facilities are ready in approximately six years. The Department of the Air Force anticipates selecting a preferred U.S. Space Command location early next calendar year.

The president of the United States established U.S. Space Command in a memorandum to the Secretary of Defense in December 2018. The U.S. Space Force was established by the enactment of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, on Dec. 20, 2019.

The U.S. Space Force headquarters will be located in the Pentagon just like the other services.