Officials Unite in Bid to Bring US Space Command Headquarters to Sterling Heights

A bipartisan group of politicians, military professionals, and aerospace industry leaders are working to bring the US Space Command headquarters to Michigan.

Officials say a letter bidding Selfridge Air Force Base as a potential location has been submitted to the US Air Force Secretary. They say that location already meets security, data transmission, and power capacity requirements.

“If you come to a place like Michigan it is wide open.  It’s a fresh pool of talent.” — Major General Paul Rogers

While more than 20 states have entered themselves in the running to host the operation, Congresswoman Elisa Slotkin says one benefit Michigan can offer is its manufacturing sector.

“I think the aerospace industry is where we have a ton of expansion,” says Slotkin. “Nothing would be a better capstone — a better feather in our cap then to get the headquarters or major military missions for Space Force Command at Selfridge Air Force Base.”

Major General Paul Rogers is the adjutant general of Michigan’s National Guard. He says while the state has not been a major player in military space work in the past, having an untapped workforce could be an advantage.

“If you go to one of the other sites,” says Rogers, “whether it’s Huntsville, Alabama or Colorado Springs — you’re competing with yourself for the same group of talent. If you come to a place like Michigan it is wide open. It’s a fresh pool of talent.”

Rogers adds that Michigan is home to more than 480 companies already involved in the aerospace defense industry. Officials say a final decision on the future location of US Space Command is expected to come sometime in early in 2021.