Alabama

trump’s-move-of-spacecom-to-alabama-has-little-to-do-with-national-security

Trump’s move of SPACECOM to Alabama has little to do with national security

Alabama, Colorado, Donald Trump, military space, national security, redstone arsenal, Science, Space, us space command, US Space Force / /

The Pentagon says the move will save money, but acknowledges risk to military readiness.

President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office at the White House on September 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that US Space Command will be relocated from Colorado to Alabama, returning to the Pentagon’s plans for the command’s headquarters from the final days of Trump’s first term in the White House.

The headquarters will move to the Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Trump made the announcement in the Oval Office, flanked by Republican members of the Alabama congressional delegation.

The move will “help America defend and dominate the high frontier,” Trump said. It also marks another twist on a contentious issue that has pitted Colorado and Alabama against one another in a fight for the right to be home to the permanent headquarters of Space Command (SPACECOM), a unified combatant command responsible for carrying out military operations in space.

Space Command is separate from the Space Force and is made up of personnel from all branches of the armed services. The Space Force, on the other hand, is charged with supplying personnel and technology for use by multiple combatant commands. The newest armed service, established in 2019 during President Trump’s first term, is part of the Department of the Air Force, which also had the authority for recommending where to base Space Command’s permanent headquarters.

“US Space Command stands ready to carry out the direction of the president following today’s announcement of Huntsville, Alabama, as the command’s permanent headquarters location,” SPACECOM wrote on its official X account.

Military officials in the first Trump administration considered potential sites in Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas before the Air Force recommended basing Space Command in Huntsville, Alabama, on January 13, 2021, a week before Trump left office.

Members of Colorado’s congressional delegation protested the decision, suggesting the recommendation was political. Trump won a larger share of votes in Alabama in 2016, 2020, and 2024 than in any of the other states in contention. On average, a higher percentage of Colorado’s citizens cast their votes against Trump than in the other five states vying for Space Command’s permanent headquarters.

Trump’s reasons

Trump cited three reasons Tuesday for basing Space Command in Alabama. He noted Redstone Arsenal’s proximity to other government and industrial space facilities, the persistence of Alabama officials in luring the headquarters away from Colorado, and Colorado’s use of mail-in voting, a policy that has drawn Trump’s ire but is wholly unrelated to military space matters.

“That played a big factor, also,” Trump said of Colorado’s mail-in voting law.

None of the reasons for the relocation that Trump mentioned in his remarks on Tuesday explained why Alabama is a better place for Space Command’s headquarters than Colorado, although the Air Force has pointed to cost savings as a rationale for the move.

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation concluded in 2022 that the Air Force did not follow “best practices” in formulating its recommendation to place Space Command at Redstone Arsenal, leading to “significant shortfalls in its transparency and credibility.”

A separate report in 2022 from the Pentagon’s own inspector general concluded the Air Force’s basing decision process was “reasonable” and complied with military policy and federal law, but criticized the decision-makers’ record-keeping.

Former President Joe Biden’s secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, stood by the recommendation in 2023 to relocate Space Command to Alabama, citing an estimated $426 million in cost savings due to lower construction and personnel costs in Huntsville relative to Colorado Springs. However, since then, Space Command achieved full operational capability at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.

Now-retired Army Gen. James Dickinson raised concerns about moving Space Command from Colorado to Alabama. Credit: US Space Force/Tech. Sgt. Luke Kitterman

Army Gen. James Dickinson, head of Space Command from 2020 until 2023, favored keeping the headquarters in Colorado, according to a separate inspector general report released earlier this year.

“Mission success is highly dependent on human capital and infrastructure,” Dickinson wrote in a 2023 memorandum to the secretary of the Air Force. “There is risk that most of the 1,000 civilians, contractors, and reservists will not relocate to another location.”

One division chief within Space Command’s plans and policy directorate told the Pentagon’s inspector general in May 2024 that they feared losing 90 percent of their civilian workforce if the Air Force announced a relocation. A representative of another directorate told the inspector general’s office that they could say “with certainty” only one of 25 civilian employees in their division would move to a new headquarters location.

Officials at Redstone Arsenal and information technology experts at Space Command concluded it would take three to four years to construct temporary facilities in Huntsville with the same capacity, connectivity, and security as those already in use in Colorado Springs, according to the DoD inspector general.

Tension under Biden

Essentially, the inspector general reported, officials at the Pentagon made cost savings their top consideration in where to garrison Space Command. Leaders at Space Command prioritized military readiness.

President Biden decided in July 2023 that Space Command’s headquarters would remain in Colorado Springs. The decision, according to the Pentagon’s press secretary at the time, would “ensure peak readiness in the space domain for our nation during a critical period.” Alabama lawmakers decried Biden’s decision in favor of Colorado, claiming it, too, was politically motivated.

Space Command reached full operational capability at its headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, two years ahead of schedule in December 2023. At the time, Space Command leaders said they could only declare Space Command fully operational upon the selection of a permanent headquarters.

Now, a year-and-a-half later, the Trump administration will uproot the headquarters and move it more than 1,000 miles to Alabama. But it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Space Command in Colorado.

A new report by the GAO published in May said Space Command faced “ongoing personnel, facilities, and communications challenges” at Peterson, despite the command’s declaration of full operational capability. Space Command officials told the GAO the command’s posture at Peterson is “not sustainable long term and new military construction would be needed” in Colorado Springs.

Space Command was originally established in 1985. The George W. Bush administration later transferred responsibility for military space activities to the US Strategic Command, as part of a post-9/11 reorganization of the military’s command structure. President Trump reestablished Space Command in 2019, months before Congress passed legislation to make the Space Force the nation’s newest military branch.

Throughout its existence, Space Command has been headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs. But now, Pentagon officials say the growing importance of military space operations and potentially space warfare requires Space Command to occupy a larger headquarters than the existing facility at Peterson.

Peterson Space Force Base is also the headquarters of North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, US Northern Command, and Space Operations Command, all of which work closely with Space Command. Space Command officials told the GAO there were benefits in being co-located with operational space missions and centers, where engineers and operators control some of the military’s most important spacecraft in orbit.

Several large space companies also have significant operations or headquarters in the Denver metro area, including Lockheed Martin, United Launch Alliance, BAE Systems, and Sierra Space.

In Alabama, ULA and Blue Origin operate rocket and engine factories near Huntsville. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command are located at Redstone Arsenal itself.

The headquarters building at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. Credit: US Space Force/Keefer Patterson

Colorado’s congressional delegation—six Democrats and four Republicans—issued a joint statement Tuesday expressing their disappointment in Trump’s decision.

“Today’s decision to move US Space Command’s headquarters out of Colorado and to Alabama will directly harm our state and the nation,” the delegation said in a statement. “We are united in fighting to reverse this decision. Bottom line—moving Space Command headquarters weakens our national security at the worst possible time.”

The relocation of Space Command headquarters is estimated to bring about 1,600 direct jobs to Huntsville, Alabama. The area surrounding the headquarters will also derive indirect economic benefits, something Colorado lawmakers said they fear will come at the expense of businesses and workers in Colorado Springs.

“Being prepared for any threats should be the nation’s top priority; a crucial part of that is keeping in place what is already fully operational,” the Colorado lawmakers wrote. “Moving Space Command would not result in any additional operational capabilities than what we have up and running in Colorado Springs now. Colorado Springs is the appropriate home for US Space Command, and we will take the necessary action to keep it there.”

Alabama’s senators and representatives celebrated Trump’s announcement Tuesday.

“The Air Force originally selected Huntsville in 2021 based 100 percent on merit as the best choice,” said Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Alabama). “President Biden reversed that decision based on politics. This wrong has been righted and Space Command will take its place among Huntsville’s world-renowned space, aeronautics, and defense leaders.”

Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that the Trump administration should provide “full transparency” and the “full details of this poor decision.”

“We hope other vital military units and missions are retained and expanded in Colorado Springs. Colorado remains an ideal location for future missions, including Golden Dome,” Polis said, referring to the Pentagon’s proposed homeland missile defense system.

Photo of Stephen Clark

Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the world’s space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet.

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Gastrointestinal disease explodes in Ala. elementary school; 773 kids out

Alabama, elementary school, gastrointestinal, health, Infectious disease, Norovirus, outbreak, school, Science, students / /

no, no, no —

Highly contagious norovirus is the leading suspect; four other area schools affected.

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An electron micrograph of norovirus.

Enlarge / An electron micrograph of norovirus.

Officials in Alabama have shut down an elementary school for the rest of the week and are conducting a deep clean after 773 of the school’s 974 students were absent Wednesday amid an explosive outbreak of gastrointestinal illness.

Local media reported that only 29 students were absent from Fairhope West Elementary School on Tuesday. However, the situation escalated quickly on Wednesday as word spread of a stomach bug going around the Gulf Coast school. A spokesperson for the county school district told AL.com that 773 students and 50 staff were absent Wednesday. It’s unclear how many of the absences were due to sickness or precaution.

Health officials are now investigating the cause of the gastrointestinal outbreak, collecting specimens for testing. So far, officials are working under the assumption that it is norovirus, a highly infectious gastrointestinal bug that can survive hand sanitizer and transmit easily from surfaces, food, and water. The symptoms of the unidentified illness align with norovirus: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and nausea.

On Wednesday, Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler sent a message to parents saying that the county had decided to shut the school down for the rest of the week. “Due to the amount of staff and students who are absent, the number who are experiencing symptoms, and in an effort to help contain the contagion, we unfortunately need to shut the building down,” Tyler wrote. “While out, we will be conducting a deep cleaning of the school so when students return next week, it will be sanitized to the fullest extent.”

But local outlet WKRG reported Thursday that the outbreak has already spread beyond Fairhope West. On Thursday, 1,231 students from four other area schools were also absent, including 721 students at Fairhope East Elementary School, 136 at a third elementary school, 170 at a middle school, and 204 at a high school. These are in addition to the 974 students at Fairhope West who are out of school while it is shut down.

Norovirus activity is high across the country, with the northeastern region seeing the largest surge, according to surveillance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency notes that outbreaks are commonly linked to health care settings, restaurants or catered events, cruise ships, as well as schools and childcare centers. “Close quarters, shared spaces, and high-touch surfaces make it easy for norovirus to spread in schools,” the CDC points out.

In 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic flipped the script on standard norovirus outbreaks. People who were hoping to avoid close contact and share indoor air with strangers headed to the great outdoors, which led to a large outbreak of norovirus in the Grand Canyon.

Gastrointestinal disease explodes in Ala. elementary school; 773 kids out Read More »

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Ala. hospital halts IVF after state’s high court ruled embryos are “children”

Alabama, assisted reproductive technology, children, embryo, fertility, frozen embryo, health, IVF, Science / /

Consequences —

Anger and uncertainty spread in wake of Friday’s ruling by the state’s Supreme Court.

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Nitrogen tanks holding tens of thousands of frozen embryos and eggs sit in the embryology lab at New Hope Fertility Center in New York City on December 20, 2017.

Enlarge / Nitrogen tanks holding tens of thousands of frozen embryos and eggs sit in the embryology lab at New Hope Fertility Center in New York City on December 20, 2017.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) health system is halting in vitro fertilization treatment in the wake of a ruling by the state’s Supreme Court on Friday that deemed frozen embryos to be “children,” The ruling opens up anyone who destroys embryos to liability in a wrongful death lawsuit, according to multiple media reports.

The announcement—the first facility to report halting IVF services—is the much-feared outcome of Friday’s ruling, which was widely decried by reproductive health advocates.

“We are saddened that this will impact our patients’ attempt to have a baby through IVF, but we must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments,” UAB said a statement to media. The statement noted that egg retrieval would continue but that egg fertilization and embryo development are now paused.

Ars has reached out to UAB for further comment and will update this story with any additional information.

Production of extra embryos is a normal part of IVF treatment for several reasons. Most notably, not all embryos will be viable, implant in a uterus, and lead to a live birth. So, creating as many embryos as possible is a common strategy to ensure that people who wish to conceive have the best chance of doing so. Embryos can also be screened for genetic conditions, allowing only the healthiest to be implanted, while those with debilitating or fatal abnormalities can be discarded.

In 2021, approximately 238,126 patients in the US had 413,776 rounds of IVF, resulting in 97,128 live-born infants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The percentage of egg retrievals that lead to a live birth ranges from 54 percent to 9 percent, depending on a patient’s age.

But, the standard practices of IVF used for hundreds of thousands of patients each year were thrown into question and upheaval Friday when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that all embryos, even those outside of a uterus or frozen in storage, are “children” under state law. Anyone who destroys them is liable under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, the court concluded. Chief Justice Tom Parker cited his religious beliefs and quoted the Bible to support the stance.

Reproductive health experts quickly speculated that the ruling would roll back IVF treatment in the state. Some facilities, such as the case of UAB, may halt treatment entirely. While others may choose to fertilize eggs conservatively, adding cost and time to the already arduous process of IVF. Genetic screening of embryos from couples who carry debilitating or fatal mutations may no longer be possible. Doctors could be sued if an embryonic ball of a few cells does not survive the treatment. Insurance rates for fertility clinics could skyrocket. Patients, meanwhile, may have to keep unneeded embryos frozen indefinitely.

On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that the ruling had created a wave of anger, shock, and confusion across the state. Patients are considering moving frozen embryos—some leftover from IVF rounds, some purposely banked for future use—to storage facilities out of the state. Lawyers cautioned that divorce settlements that stipulate frozen embryos must be destroyed may now be void.

But the fear and confusion don’t end there. Health advocates worry more states will follow Alabama’s lead. And, if small clumps of cells gain personhood rights in more states, liability could spread to contraceptive use and people who suffer a miscarriage.

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Frozen embryos are “children,” according to Alabama’s Supreme Court

Alabama, Alabama Supreme Court, art, embryos, fertlized egg, IVF, reproductive health, Science / /

frozen cell balls —

IVF often produces more embryos than are needed or used.

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January 17, 2024, Berlin: In the cell laboratory at the Fertility Center Berlin, an electron microscope is used to fertilize an egg cell.

Enlarge / January 17, 2024, Berlin: In the cell laboratory at the Fertility Center Berlin, an electron microscope is used to fertilize an egg cell.

The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday ruled that frozen embryos are “children,” entitled to full personhood rights, and anyone who destroys them could be liable in a wrongful death case.

The first-of-its-kind ruling throws into question the future use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) involving in vitro fertilization for patients in Alabama—and beyond. For this technology, people who want children but face challenges to conceiving can create embryos in clinical settings, which may or may not go on to be implanted in a uterus.

In the Alabama case, a hospital patient wandered through an unlocked door, removed frozen, preserved embryos from subzero storage and, suffering an ice burn, dropped the embryos, destroying them. Affected IVF patients filed wrongful-death lawsuits against the IVF clinic under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. The case was initially dismissed in a lower court, which ruled the embryos did not meet the definition of a child. But the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that “it applies to all children, born and unborn, without limitation.” In a concurring opinion, Chief Justice Tom Parker cited his religious beliefs and quoted the Bible to support the stance.

“Human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God, who views the destruction of His image as an affront to Himself,” Parker wrote. “Even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”

In 2020, the US Department of Health and Human Services estimated that there were over 600,000 embryos frozen in storage around the country, a significant percentage of which will likely never result in a live birth.

The process of IVF generally goes like this: First, egg production is overstimulated with hormone treatments. Then, doctors harvest the eggs as well as sperm. The number of eggs harvested can vary, but doctors sometimes try to retrieve as many as possible, ranging from a handful to several dozen, depending on fertility factors. The harvested eggs are fertilized in a clinic, sometimes by combining them with sperm in an incubator or by the more delicate process of directly injecting sperm into a mature egg (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). Any resulting fertilized eggs may then go through additional preparations, including “assisted hatching,” which prepares the embryo’s membrane for attaching to the lining of the uterus, or genetic screening to ensure the embryo is healthy and viable.

Feared reality

This process sometimes yields several embryos, which is typically considered good because each round of IVF can have significant failure rates. According to national ART data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of egg retrievals that fail to result in a live birth ranges from 46 percent to 91 percent, depending on the patient’s age. The percentage of fertilized egg or embryo transfers that fail to result in a live birth ranges from 51 percent to 76 percent, depending on age. Many patients go through multiple rounds of egg retrievals and embryo transfers.

The whole IVF process often creates numerous embryos but leads to far fewer live births. In 2021, nearly 240,000 patients in the US had over 400,000 ART cycles, resulting in 97,000 live-born infants, according to the CDC.

People who have extra embryos from IVF can currently choose what to do with them, including freezing them for more cycles or future conception attempts, donating them to others wanting to conceive, donating them to research, or having them discarded.

But, if, as Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled, embryos are considered “children,” this could mean that any embryos that are destroyed or discarded in the process of IVF or afterward could be the subject of wrongful death lawsuits. The ruling creates potentially paralyzing liability for ART clinics and patients who use them. Doctors may choose to only attempt creating embryos one at a time to avoid liability attached to creating extras, or they may decline to provide IVF altogether to avoid liability when embryos do not survive the process. This could exacerbate the already financially draining and emotionally exhausting process of IVF, potentially putting it entirely out of reach for those who want to use the technology and putting clinics out of business.

Barbara Collura, CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, told USA Today that the ruling would likely halt most IVF work in Alabama. “This is exactly what we have been fearful of and worried about where it was heading,” Collura said. “We are extremely concerned that this is now going to happen in other states.”

But the hypothetical risks don’t end there. Health advocates worry that the idea of personhood for an embryonic ball of a few cells could extend to pregnancy outcomes, such as miscarriages or the use of contraceptives.

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