SPI Insights

Port San Antonio is one of six candidate locations selected by the Department of the Air Force for the U.S. Space Command Headquarters on November 19.

Self-nominated communities from across 24 states were evaluated as potential locations for hosting the headquarters.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg led a contingent that recently visited Washington, D.C. to promote the city’s qualities to host the headquarters to the Air Force chief of staff, the U.S. Space Force chief of space operations, and other high-ranking military officers.

Port San Antonio is a 1,900-acre technology and innovation campus on the former site of Kelly Air Force Base (AFB). It will compete with finalists Kirtland AFB in New Mexico, Offutt AFB in Nebraska, Patrick AFB in Florida, Peterson AFB in Colorado, and Redstone Army Airfield in Alabama.

The Department of the Air Force evaluated each location and will now conduct both virtual and on-site visits at each candidate location to assess which location is best suited to host the U.S. Space Command Headquarters. This assessment will be based on factors related to mission, infrastructure capacity, community support, and costs to the Department of Defense.

Air Force officials said they anticipate selecting the preferred location for U.S. Space Command Headquarters in early 2021.

In the interim, Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs will remain the provisional location for U.S. Space Command Headquarters until a permanent location is selected and facilities are ready to support the mission.

When fully established, USSPACECOM will have about 1,400 military and civilian personnel working in the headquarters.

U.S. Space Command was established in December 2018 as the newest of the 11 unified commands in the Department of Defense. USSPACECOM is distinct from and complementary to the U.S. Space Force.