Alabama Political Reporter · Alex Jobin · September 8, 2026
The U.S. Department of Defense recently issued an update on the relocation of U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. According to the announcement, more than 140 uniformed and civilian personnel assigned to the command’s headquarters are now working at the Arsenal, including personnel dedicated to “relocation support functions” and those who “directly contribute to the combatant command’s mission.”
Last month, General Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, told reporters in Huntsville that he expects the Arsenal to support 200 personnel by the end of the year and half of U.S. Space Command’s total staff by 2028.
Space Command is supporting that growth by offering financial incentives to civilian employees who relocate from Colorado Springs to Huntsville while also increasing hiring efforts in north Alabama.
During the transition, Space Command has worked closely with Redstone Arsenal’s garrison leadership to create interim workspaces while developing plans for a future “purpose-built command and control facility.” Space Command has also used $147.5 million in fiscal year 2026 funding to establish a “secure digital infrastructure” to support the Arsenal’s growing staff.
“Thanks to the incredible support shown to the command, to include the Department of the Air Force, Army Contracting Command, and Team Redstone—alongside communities in both Colorado and Alabama, our team has remained laser focused on sustaining full mission execution while keeping our headquarters relocation moving on-time and on-budget,” Whiting said. “It is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of our people that we accomplished this while advancing national interests on-orbit alongside allies and partners and delivering space effects to the Joint Force.”
Major General Terry L. Grisham, director of Space Command’s Redstone Transition Team and a longtime Huntsville resident, called the transition “a clear demonstration of this command’s commitment to executing the President’s directive with the speed and decisiveness our mission demands.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also praised the relocation effort.
“Over the past year, the Department of War has carried out the President’s direction to relocate U.S. Space Command with speed and common sense, identifying and leveraging every opportunity to cut through red tape and bureaucracy in order to get the job done,” Hegseth said. “As we continue to execute this move, we do so with the same unrelenting focus on sustaining America’s dominance in space and expanding our lethality in all warfighting domains.”
The transition has also received praise from Alabama lawmakers, many of whom advocated for Space Command’s relocation to Huntsville.
“It has been over a year since President Trump righted a HUGE wrong and got @US_SpaceCom returned to its RIGHTFUL HOME at Redstone Arsenal,” U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, wrote Monday in a post on X. “I am glad to hear the transition is going smoothly, and I will keep working with the Department of War to unleash American dominance in space.”
The location of Space Command headquarters has been the subject of a yearslong political battle. Former President Joe Biden decided to keep the command in Colorado despite a U.S. Air Force analysis indicating Huntsville would be a more suitable location. After returning to office, President Donald Trump reversed Biden’s decision and officially redesignated Redstone Arsenal as the command’s permanent headquarters.
Colorado subsequently sued the federal government in an attempt to block the move, arguing that the Trump administration was unlawfully punishing the state in part because of its mail-in voting policies. In June, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall asked a federal judge to dismiss the suit , but the case remains ongoing.
Alex Jobin is a reporter. You can reach him at [email protected] .
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