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Congressman: Space Command's initial home will be Colorado

Posted at 6:08 PM, Aug 21, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-21 20:08:08-04

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado congressman says the initial headquarters for the Pentagon's new Space Command will be in his home state.

Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn said Wednesday the command will officially start operations at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs next month. Lamborn says he hopes the Pentagon will chose Peterson for the command's permanent headquarters.

President Donald Trump formally launched Space Command in December. It's designed to improve the organization of the military's vast space operations amid growing concerns that China and Russia are working on ways to disrupt or destroy U.S. satellites.

Lamborn said Colorado Springs is a logical site for the new command because it's already home to several military space operations. They include the 50th Space Wing, which operates more than 185 military satellites.