Colorado Leaders Welcome U.S. Space Command to Permanent Home
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Federal, state and local leaders from across Colorado came together today to welcome the U.S. Space Command to its permanent home in Colorado Springs.
Among those praising the Biden Administration’s decision to keep U.S. Space Command in the Centennial State were U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Ken Buck (R-CO), Jason Crow (D-CO) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO), along with U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera.
“Colorado has become home to some of the best and brightest minds working in our nation’s space and aerospace industries, and President Biden’s decision to keep U.S. Space Command in our state was the right one to make,” said Congresswoman DeGette. “It will not only ensure that our Space Force is able to continue its vital mission uninterrupted, but it reaffirms that when it comes to important military decisions, like where to house some of our nation’s most critical bases, our national security and military readiness will remain the driving factors – not politics.”
"I am pleased to join my colleagues in welcoming U.S. Space Command to its permanent home in Colorado Springs,” said Congressman Lamborn. “Now that Peterson Space Force Base has been determined as the permanent home for USSPACECOM, our men and women in uniform can focus on deterring China’s aggression and protecting our most vital space assets.”
“This is great news for Colorado and our national security — keeping U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs is an exciting outcome for our state, military families, jobs, and businesses,” said Governor Polis. “This thoughtful and correct decision guarantees operational success for decades to come and improves our national defense. I personally advocated for Space Command to remain in Colorado with the former President and current administration. I am grateful to the strong, bipartisan coalition of leaders from across Colorado who never wavered in our commitment to keeping Space Command in our state and national defense. Colorado’s unique aerospace strengths provide the innovation and commitment to service necessary to ensure our national security, especially during such a critical moment.”
“U.S. Space Command has flawlessly executed its mission in Colorado Springs since day one, and we celebrate the decision to keep U.S. Space Command in its rightful home, where it will achieve Full Operational Capability faster than anywhere else, ensuring our national security and military readiness at this critical moment,” said Lt. Governor Primavera. “Colorado is the epicenter of national security space, and we are proud to be the past, present, and future of the mission.”
“Over the past two and half years, we have repeatedly made the case that the Trump Administration’s decision to relocate U.S. Space Command was misguided. Today’s decision restores integrity to the Pentagon’s basing process and sends a strong message that national security and the readiness of our Armed Forces drive our military decisions. Colorado is the rightful home for U.S. Space Command, and our state will continue to lead America in space for years to come,” said Senator Bennet.
“For two and a half years, we’ve known any objective analysis of this basing decision would reach the same conclusion we did, that Peterson Space Force Base is the best home for Space Command,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “After two investigations and rigorous review by the Department of Defense, the administration has made the decision that’s in our country’s best interest. Most importantly, this decision firmly rejects the idea that politics – instead of national security – should determine basing decisions central to our national security. We’re grateful to the service members and civilians who serve at Space Command, keeping us safe at the cutting edge of this new frontier.”
“I applaud the decision today by the Biden Administration to keep U.S. Space Command where it belongs – in Colorado,” said Congressman Buck. “Our entire Congressional Delegation, both Republicans and Democrats, have worked together for years to achieve this important result. Colorado already has the pre-existing infrastructure, first-rate workforce, private-sector support, and communication platforms necessary to provide for our national security mission in space.”
“Politics should never get in the way of national security. The move to keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado is strategic and in the best interest of military readiness and a strong national defense,” said Congressman Crow. “Colorado is home to over a third of all space-related National Guardsmen and their families. Our highly skilled workforce, battle-tested operations, and secure infrastructure make Colorado the ideal home for US Space Command and space-related operations. Thank you, President Biden, for being laser-focused on what's best for our country and servicemembers.”
“Space Command will stay in Colorado, its rightful home. I worked in a bipartisan and bicameral fashion with Congressman Lamborn and all Members of the Colorado delegation to set politics aside and put Colorado first,” said Congresswoman Boebert. “When Russia and China are developing lasers to destroy U.S. satellites, we should not be wasting time considering moving Space Command’s headquarters for political reasons. Our successful effort will keep thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars here in Colorado, including good-paying jobs for people that live in Pueblo.”
“Today’s announcement is an affirmation of what we already know. Colorado Springs is the home of space. Our City is now proud to be the permanent home of U.S. Space Command, and we are committed to its long-term success,” said City of Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade. “It is clear this final decision is in the best interest of our national security and is the most responsible use of taxpayer dollars. I want to express our thanks to President Biden and to our Colorado military delegation – Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, Congressmen Doug Lamborn and Jason Crow, Governor Jared Polis, our El Paso County Commissioners, the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, and our defense industry leadership, along with former Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers – who joined together and advocated to keep this mission in our community. Today marks the beginning of the next chapter of our city’s long and proud military history, and Colorado Springs will continue to rally around and support our service members, veterans, and their families.”
“I am absolutely thrilled with the decision to keep U.S. Space Command in its home in Colorado Springs. I am also pleased that the decision-makers recognized that keeping U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs is best for our nation's taxpayers and security,” said El Paso County Commissioner Stan VanderWerf. “This success is the result of the hard work of many organizations, elected officials, and staff members. I’d like to thank the entire Colorado delegation, including Congress Doug Lamborn and Senators Bennett and Hickenlooper, as well as the City of Colorado Springs, El Paso County Team, and the Chamber and EDC for their hard work and collaboration.”
“As the epicenter of military space, Colorado Springs is thrilled to be named the permanent location of USSPACECOM, ending a multi-year selection process and resulting in the best decision for national security as our country faces growing security threats from China, Russia, and other nations determined to challenge us in the space domain,” said Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC Vice President of Defense Development Jessie Kimber. “As the current provisional home to USSPACECOM, Colorado Springs is the natural choice for its permanent basing with robust infrastructure in place and personnel already living in our community contributing to our region’s existing military space operations and rapidly expanding defense, space, aerospace, and cyber security industries. We are grateful for the many partners across Colorado who worked tirelessly in support of the campaign to secure the permanent basing and advocate the importance of keeping USSPACECOM in Colorado Springs, and we look forward to continuing our role in supporting our country’s mission in space. We want to recognize the other regions that were working toward this same goal and acknowledge their devoted efforts in support of the Space Command mission throughout this process. We share the same passion, and the Colorado Springs region will work tirelessly with USSPACECOM to protect our skies now and well into the future.”
Background
U.S. Space Command directs our military’s joint, global operations to deter aggression, defend our nation, support our allies, and defeat threats in space. It plays a pivotal role in defending satellite systems that provide GPS navigation, national security communications, internet and cellular services, and missile warning and defense. This work is critical to supporting U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s work to deter aggression from an increasingly dangerous China.
Colorado Springs is home to over 250 aerospace and defense companies that employ more than 100,000 national security professionals. With an annual economic impact of over $7 billion from the aerospace and defense industries, Colorado Springs remains the epicenter for the defense space enterprise.
Important investments have been made throughout Colorado to strengthen the United States' national security space missions. In addition to the other space assets across our state, Colorado Springs is home to the National Space Defense Center (NSDC), which is particularly vital to our nation’s ability to respond to threats in space. Located at Schriever Space Force Base, the NSDC provides unity of effort between the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community to facilitate information sharing across the entire national security space enterprise and underpinning USSPACECOM’s warfighting mission. Colorado Springs is also home to Space Operations Command and the Space Warfighting Analysis Center at Peterson Space Force Base, which are charged with developing and providing combat-ready space professionals and force design guidance for the Space Force.
Colorado is also home to the National Reconnaissance Office’s (NRO) Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado (ADF-C) at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado. The ADF-C is responsible for collecting and disseminating intelligence across U.S. agencies and U.S. allies. Over the past several decades, Colorado has also developed national security communications systems that would be extraordinarily expensive to quickly replicate elsewhere. These unparalleled missions, and existing infrastructure, make Colorado the nexus of national security space operations for the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense.