In major move, Space Force selects Florida's Space Coast for STARCOM training headquarters

Emre Kelly and Dave Berman, Florida Today
Updated ·4 min read
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After years of surveys and deliberations, the Space Force on Wednesday announced it would headquarter one of its major commands at Patrick Space Force Base in Florida.

The headquarters for the Space Training and Readiness Command, or STARCOM, will initially bring hundreds of personnel to the Space Coast to help develop training programs for Space Force members. The Patrick operation will also include Space Delta 10, which is responsible for wargaming and tactics. Colorado and New Mexico were selected to host STARCOM's other two deltas.

The command, one of three under the branch established in December 2019, is responsible for education, training, and development of space professionals. That's in addition to "the development of space warfighting doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures, and the operational test and evaluation of Space Force systems," the Air Force said in a release.

The Space Force is part of the Air Force, much like the Marine Corps falls under the Navy.

The Space Force on Wednesday announced it would headquarter one of its major commands at Patrick Space Force Base in Florida, the headquarters for the Space Training and Readiness Command, or STARCOM.
The Space Force on Wednesday announced it would headquarter one of its major commands at Patrick Space Force Base in Florida, the headquarters for the Space Training and Readiness Command, or STARCOM.

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“From Project Mercury to today’s privatized spaceflight, Americans look to Florida’s Space Coast to see history in the making,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a release. “We are honored to host the Space Training and Readiness Command headquarters and continue Florida’s history as America’s gateway to outer space.”

Next steps include conducting environmental reviews at the bases, followed by final decisions.

"This decision by the U.S. Air Force reflects the strategic importance of Florida in advancing national security and defense in space," said Frank DiBello, president and CEO of Space Florida. “Bringing STARCOM’s headquarters to Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is a significant milestone in Florida’s history and reaffirms our critical role in advancing the nation’s space and military capabilities."

STARCOM's other two branches include Space Deltas 11 and 12.

  • Space Delta 11 is expected to call Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico its home. Training there will focus on live and virtual programs to prepare Space Force members.

  • Space Delta 12, to be based in Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, will be responsible for tests and evaluations.

"The decision to host STARCOM HQ and the three deltas at their respective bases came after conducting site surveys at each location to assess their ability to facilitate the mission and infrastructure capacity, while accounting for community support, environmental factors and cost," the Air Force said.

The decision comes after years of surveys and analyses to find the most suitable locations. Officials had long hoped Florida would get at least some part of STARCOM considering that Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center, which operate under the leadership of the Space Force's Eastern Range, make up the busiest spaceport in the world.

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Jim Dubea, a Merritt Island resident and retired commander for the U.S. Coast Guard base at Port Canaveral, said the announcement "sounds like an incredible opportunity for the Space Force and other armed forces in the community."

"It will be a great addition to the region," and will help boost the local economy, said Dubea, who currently is vice president of marine and waterfront for Consor Engineers.

In commenting on the announcement, Lynda Weatherman, president and chief executive of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, said her organization, working in conjunction with other local and state organizations, was able to demonstrate "Florida’s Space Coast was the best option for training our nation’s Guardians for the 21st-century battlefield.”

The governor's office said other entities involved in the effort included Space Florida, Enterprise Florida, the Florida Defense Support Task Force, the Florida High Tech Corridor, Florida Institute of Technology, the University of Central Florida, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the National Center for Simulation, and Team Volusia Economic Development Corp.

This coming weekend likely supports the Space Force's decision: two SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets are slated to fly from KSC and Cape Canaveral pads during back-to-back missions on Saturday and Sunday. Up first are a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule with thousands of pounds of cargo slated for the International Space Station. That mission is targeting a 12:34 p.m. EDT liftoff from KSC's pad 39A on Saturday, May 3.

Then on Sunday, another Falcon 9 rocket is expected to loft SpaceX's newest batch of Starlink internet satellites from the Cape's Launch Complex 40. The nearly four-hour launch window will open at 5:48 a.m. EDT.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @EmreKelly.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Space Force selects Florida for training and command HQ