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>These officials told investigators that renovating existing Space Command facilities at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, would allow the command to reach “full operational capability” faster than constructing a brand-new building in Huntsville and relocating a workforce of about 1,500 people.

This is the only answer to this stupid debate. Please bring those renovation dollars to a place that already holds the majority of personnel and work being done rather than reinventing the wheel, so to speak.

It’s all political. They abandoned Plattsburgh AFB in the 90s in favor of some base in NJ that requires billions of investment just to get it up to par with Plattsburgh.

IF renovating is cheaper than moving and rebuilding (And I cannot see a reason why it shouldn't be, then why move it. OTHER than we have a Fuc-ton of bases, Stations, and forts in Colo Sprgs now, and maybe we need to spread the love a bit?
Pete Field is a strategically well-placed base, though, Schriever Space Force Base/Cheyanne-Mnt/Air Acadamy. A bunch of asse ts is located close by.

besides CS is becoming a GOP hub in the last 20 years, and maybe the AF is fed up with it. OR maybe they want to spread the AF Brain around..

Devils advocate... Huntsville has an overwhelming presence of exactly this type of work already in the full spectrum of industries relating to anything in space, from space, or about space.

Not only that, but the benefit of moving to where there already is a massive presence that will ultimately prove more efficient/useful is much more impactful than a building (or several) and 1500 people. Land is also extremely cheap, easy to develop, and generally unrestrictive.

The programs are what costs the real money, and being local to Research Park, Redstone Arsenal, UAH (albeit less important) is going to save plenty of money to make up for it. Several billion $ in programs going to significantly better use in a HUGELY more collaberative and resourceful area is much smarter than trying to save the paltry sum of what could even be a Space Taj Mahal made of marble.

Huntsville has been a massive hub for aerospace, medical, and defense tech for decades now. in 10-15 years it will be THE hub for virtually all things government contracting. A lot flies under the radar what Huntsville does, but taking a glance at how huge CRP is and how fast it is continually growing, and RA as well, will illustrate exactly why Huntsville is being considered.

Even manufacturing is seeing a boom. There are 20+ MM military/aerospace manufacturing start ups in the last 5 years in the region.

I think saying "renovate what you already have!" is incredibly short sighted. Take into account as well that just because they are basing out of somewhere else doesn't mean they have to completely evacuate their current home.

NASA has offices all across the southern US, including HSV, no reason they can't do the same. The delay in confirming the move to Huntsville is what's political. Everyone involved is inherently highly risk adverse and still its essentially a foregone conclusion.

AFSC has been at been at Peterson since 1982. If you read their mission it aligns with USSC. It only makes sense but having served 24 years I know that's not necessarily a consideration.

Counter-point: Who would want to relocate to Alabama if they are already living in Colorado?

Colorado Springs has been conservative my entire 32 year life.

Trusr me I know. I lived off of fountain and circle..

Split the difference. Do both. Leave HQ in Colorado Springs, build new facility in Hunstville to liaison with those resources and capabilities.

I cannot express how quickly I would tell my company to shove it if they wanted to relocate me to Alabama.

Huntsville is quite an up and coming locale for tech and government jobs

Government I can see, but as a tech worker I wouldn't move to a state where my partner couldn't get adequate medical treatment if pregnant, where there's poor labor laws, and the general Alabama stigma. I'm sure there's nice areas, and it's beautiful, but..yeah hard pass. I'll stack checks elsewhere.

and you have to draw them away from all that deep space radar telemetry to boot. Not an easy sell.

you move it so all those consultants and contractors can get a piece of the pie. That's the only reason.

Yet after 40+ years they seek gains in Huntsville, just like everybody else. Location of your workforce doesn't matter, its about proximity to the firms you interact with 24/7. Next door is better than being many states away. People already do fuckloads of work for USSC here.

I have been to CS, been on base, family has served and been on contractor side. It doesn't compare to CRP and RA.

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Well we did have many thousands move here in a few years for FBI, various other government agencies that dont say what they do, they love it. Not to mention that USSC will be nowhere near the largest player in their own field here.

Thats the point im getting at. Everyone else is already here, them being in Colorado is a waste of resources long term. Engineers LOVE Huntsville because of CRP and RA, you can get a different job in 2 days working on damn near anything you want to work on. Its cheap, good neighborhoods, and plenty of work. Colorado has... good weather, pretty mountains, and better traffic.

Look up Cummings Research Park. Colorado is not the place to be, with or without NORAD or proximity to deep space radar.

When they tried to move the MDA headquarters to Huntsville it was a disaster.

Everything I've heard about MDA is in general a disaster, I don't think it was the move though.

Everyone seems incredibly toxic and its just asses in seats mentality.

The reference I was going for.

Okay, but can leader of Space Force actually be Steve Carell?