Space Command Boosted By Colorado's Universities, Academic Leaders Say

By Sara Wilson, Colorado Newsline

May 31, 2022

Representatives from Colorado’s colleges and universities want to keep U.S. Space Command headquartered in Colorado Springs, arguing that the state’s higher education institutions are well equipped to train talent for the operation.

“Given the ever-evolving nature of space and the critical role space-based assets play in our daily lives, it is vital to have a workforce equipped with up-to-the-minute tools and skills to address the challenges of the day and prepare for those of tomorrow. Our institutions are leading the way in training this workforce,” they wrote in a May 31 letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall.

The Trump administration decided to move Space Command — the unified combatant command for all military space operations — from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama, a decision that Colorado representatives have alleged was politically motivated. They have urged President Joe Biden to reexamine the basing decision.

A recent Defense Department Office of Inspector General report concluded that the decision to move the headquarters to Huntsville was rational, and another report from the Government Accountability Office inspector general is expected soon.

Tuesday’s letter is the latest attempt to argue for Space Command’s continued presence in Colorado. It includes three dozen signatures, including those of University of Colorado President Todd Saliman, Colorado State University System Chancellor Tony Frank, University of Northern Colorado President Andy Feinstein and Colorado School of Mines President Paul Johnson.

The academic leaders highlighted the presence of federal scientific laboratories and military installations in the state, which they partially attribute to the state’s higher education system that provides training in disciplines like cybersecurity, aerospace engineering, machine learning and computer science. Colorado’s schools “(support) our nation’s civil and national security space enterprise and (have) paved the way for exponential growth in the commercial space industry,” they wrote.

The research that Colorado’s colleges and universities take on also have national security implications, according to the letter’s signatories.

“The space-centered research also plays a critical role in supporting our national security partners, including the DoD – specifically the Air Force, Space Force, Army and even USSPACECOM — as a unified combatant command,” they wrote. “Addressing areas of strategic importance, including space domain awareness, unmanned aircraft systems, propulsion, remote sensing and cybersecurity, etc., allows our faculty researchers to assist efforts at the Pentagon and on the front lines to keep us safe and protect our way of life.”

Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse, a former University of Colorado regent, applauded the letter. He emphasized that Colorado has the second-largest aerospace economy and workforce.

“Colorado’s universities have been training and fostering this talented pool of aerospace engineers and scientists for decades,” he wrote in his own letter to Austin and Kendall. “I’ve seen first-hand the important work our universities do to grow and maintain a strong aerospace workforce and I believe Colorado remains the best place for this work to continue.”

Even if Space Command leaves Colorado, the state will continue to have three U.S. Space Force bases.

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