Huntsville Picked For Headquarters Of New U.S. Space Command
The Pentagon has selected Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal as the headquarters for the nation’s new U.S. Space Command.
“We will make you proud of your decision,’’ Huntsville mayor Tommy Battle said Wednesday in a statement. “We look forward to the partnership with the U.S. Space Command and pledge to make it a success from day one.’’
The Air Force said Huntsville is the “preferred and reasonable’’ site pending a required environmental impact study — considered a routine process —
that should be finished by 2023.
Six cities were considered for the headquarters, including Colorado Springs, CO, which is the current temporary headquarters of the new agency.
The military chose Huntsville because it topped a list of criteria, including a large, qualified workforce, quality schools and superior infrastructure, the Air Force said.
Huntsville’s Research Park boasts one of the largest concentrations of high tech, space and defense-related firms, with more than 400 such firms and industries located in Huntsville.
Gov. Kay Ivey said a top Air Force officer called her this morning about the decision.
“Our state has long provided exceptional support for our military and their families as well as a rich and storied history when it comes to space exploration,’’ Ivey said.
The arsenal’s Marshall Space Flight Center developed the Saturn V rocket that landed men on the moon.
“The bottom line is simple,” Ivey said. “The Redstone Arsenal is the most natural choice to become home to such an important mission for our country.”
Sen. Richard Shelby, a Republican from Tuscaloosa, said that the decision will have “a vast economic impact’’ on the area.
“The long-awaited decision by the Air Force is a true testament to all Alabama has to offer,’’ he said.
Locating the command in Huntsville initially will bring 1,600 new jobs to the area, according to al.com, with more to come as the command grows and consolidates.
North Alabama lawmakers also applauded the decision. State Rep. Danny Crawford, a Republican from Athens, called the news “exciting.’’
“We are going to continue to grow,’’ he said. “It will put some pressure on our infrastructure, but that’s a good thing.’’
The announcement is the latest in a series of moves by the federal government to locate highly sought-after transfers to the Arsenal, many as a result of the government’s cost-cutting efforts to close military bases by consolidating agencies.
Among the headquarters already on the Arsenal are the Army’s anti-missile defense effort and its Army Materiel Command. The FBI is also making the base its cyber-security headquarters, a move so significant the Arsenal is being referred to as “the second Langley,’’ the FBI’s headquarters.
Early last year, Congress, at President Donald Trump’s urging, approved consolidating the Air Force’s space defense efforts into the new Space Command.
Trump warns Iran not to retaliate after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed
The Iranian government has announced 40 days of mourning. The country's supreme leader was killed following an attack launched by the U.S. and Israel on Saturday against Iran.
Iran fires missiles at Israel and Gulf states after U.S.-Israeli strike kills Khamenei
Iran fired missiles at targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states Sunday after vowing massive retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the United States and Israel.
House Dem. Leader Jeffries responds to air strikes on Iran by U.S. and Israel
NPR's Emily Kwong speaks to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who is still calling for a vote on a war powers resolution following a wave of U.S.- and Israel-led airstrikes on Iran.
Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year iron rule
Khamenei, the Islamic Republic's second supreme leader, has been killed. He had held power since 1989, guiding Iran through difficult times — and overseeing the violent suppression of dissent.
Found: The 19th century silent film that first captured a robot attack
A newly rediscovered 1897 short by famed French filmmaker Georges Méliès is being hailed as the first-ever depiction of a robot in cinema.
‘One year of failure.’ The Lancet slams RFK Jr.’s first year as health chief
In a scathing review, the top US medical journal's editorial board warned that the "destruction that Kennedy has wrought in 1 in office might take generations to repair."
