President Trump Launches U.S. Space Command With Headquarters In Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - President Donald Trump formally established the United States Space Command during a ceremony Wednesday at the White House. USSSPACECOM, the 11th war-fighting command for the Defense Department, will initially be headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
U.S. Military officials say 87 units will work to provide everything from missile warnings to satellite-based navigation for troops in the field.
On Twitter, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet called for the U.S. Air Force to permanently base the U.S. Space Command in Colorado. The tweet links to a letter signed by a bipartisan delegation of Colorado leaders.
The letter states, "Colorado is the prime location to house national efforts to ensure continued U.S. technological superiority, global leadership, and capabilities in space."
Air Force General John W. "Jay" Raymond will serve as commander of the U.S. Space Command. According to a White House press release, the new command will "accelerate the United States' space capabilities to address rapidly evolving threats to U.S. space assets."
"The scope, scale and complexity of today's threat is real and it is concerning," said Raymond during the establishment ceremony. "The establishment of a Combatant Command solely focused on the space domain, demonstrates the United States' commitment to protecting and defending its space assets against that threat."
