San Antonio Being Considered for Space Command Headquarters
The United States Space Command looking to establish a new headquarters in one of six U.S. cities. Among the finalists is San Antonio.
Specifically, Port San Antonio is being considered as a site for a planned SPACECOM HQ. Stars and Stripes reports that the Air Force is also weighing the pros and cons of setting up SPACECOM at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, and Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.
Air Force officials are currently assessing each location's potential based on factors including infrastructure capacity and community support, and they're expected to make a decision in early 2021. In the mean time, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado will serve as a temporary HQ for at least six years.
The San Antonio Express News reports that around 1,400 military and civilian personnel would be assigned to the new headquarters.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg told the Express News he thinks his city's chances are "as good or better" than any of the other candidates.
Governor Greg Abbott agrees. In a statement issued Thursday, Abbott wrote, "The Department of the Air Force will find no better location for the U.S. Space Command than Port San Antonio. Not only does the state of Texas have the resources, universities, and human capital necessary to support the Space Command, but we are also enriched by our long-standing and celebrated tradition of military service and innovation in Texas. I strongly urge the Department of the Air Force to choose Port San Antonio as the home of the U.S. Space Command."
Wherever SPACECOM lands, it will be the U.S. HQ for the combat command of satellites, radar, and other high-tech assets that assist all branches of our armed forces in every day operations and critical missions.
Given Texas' history with the space program, it seems like a natural fit to me.
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