HUNTSVILLE, Ala., — The U.S. military is advancing plans to build a permanent $4 billion headquarters for U.S. Space Command at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, with operational readiness targeted for December 2031.
The Command and Control Facility (C2F) will occupy a 64-acre site and accommodate approximately 1,800 personnel. The complex is planned to cover around 700,000 to 800,000 square feet, housing command-and-control infrastructure, secure communications networks, a dedicated data center and facilities for classified operations.
The facility will incorporate electromagnetic pulse (EMP) protection, including high-altitude EMP hardening, radio-frequency shielding, redundant power and utility systems, and resilient communications infrastructure. It will also include Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs), Special Access Program spaces, and integrated command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems.
Contractor Selection and Construction Timeline
The Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC), working with Army Contracting Command on behalf of U.S. Space Command, is preparing to select a U.S.-based design-build contractor. The contract will cover design, construction, equipment installation, commissioning, accreditation and fixtures, furniture and equipment.
The estimated $4 billion contract has not yet been awarded. Selection criteria include experience with large-scale projects, bonding capacity, Top Secret facility security clearance and compliance with cybersecurity standards. Responses to the formal challenge statement are listed as due December 15, 2026, subject to confirmation against the latest procurement notice.
The project uses Other Transaction Authority (OTA) to accelerate delivery and aims to reduce traditional military construction timelines by roughly half. Groundbreaking is targeted for around September 2027, mission-ready occupancy for 2031 and full personnel relocation for approximately 2032.
Parsons Corporation received an $85 million agreement in September 2026 to serve as the owner's advisor, providing program and construction management support through planning, design, construction and the transition to operations.
Relocation from Colorado Springs
The decision to establish the permanent headquarters at Redstone Arsenal was finalized in September 2025 following years of site evaluations and political debate. The relocation will move the headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville.
More than 140 staff members were working at interim facilities at Redstone Arsenal by early September 2026. The workforce is expected to reach approximately 200 by year-end 2026 and around 900 personnel, or half the headquarters workforce, by the end of 2028. The joint operations center will remain in Colorado until the new facility is completed.
An Air Force environmental review found no significant impacts associated with developing the proposed site. Local officials and the command's transition office have begun preparations for the incoming workforce.
Redstone Arsenal already hosts the Missile Defense Agency, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and other Army and intelligence organizations. Funding for the relocation has supported interim secure digital infrastructure, planning and design, with additional budget requests supporting the wider move.
The $4 billion estimate covers design, construction, equipment and associated requirements. The permanent headquarters will consolidate operations currently spread across multiple buildings and support orbital monitoring, satellite protection and coordination of responses to emerging space threats. The project reflects the U.S. Department of Defense's growing focus on space as a military domain.
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