The Air Force is re-doing its search for Space Command headquarters — here's what it takes to get picked

In May 2019, the service said it was considering six locations for the headquarters: Buckley, Peterson, and Schriever Air Force Bases and Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station in Colorado; Redstone Arsenal in Alabama; and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

In early March, shortly after Space Force's vice commander told lawmakers that the Air Force had been told to reopen the review process, Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat from Alabama, pressed Defense Secretary Mark Esper on the reasoning behind the decision at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

Jones said the approaching election made the reopening seem politically motivated, but Esper said it was his decision.

"During my talks on the Hill ... I heard from members on both sides of the aisle that they felt that the process that had been run was unfair and not transparent, and there were a number of complaints," Esper said. "So I directed at that time that we pause in place. I took a briefing on it ... and we did not feel as well that it was transparent enough, that enough states, members, etc., had a chance to participate. So we directed it be revisited and a different approach be taken."

That new approach would be transparent and consultative, with updates throughout, Esper said, "so everybody had confidence that it was fair and that there were no politics involved in it, and that it was the best site for the mission."

Mission related (40 points) — This will assess the "available qualified workforce," the site's "proximity to mutually supporting space entities," and the location's ability "to provide emergency and incident response requirements, and enable mobility."

Infrastructure capacity (30 points) — Infrastructure requirements include space for buildings and parking, communications bandwidth, energy resilience, and adequate security. It will also look for "the nearest active duty installation's base operating support to service members to include medical care, childcare, military housing, and transportation."

Community support (15 points) — Support to military families will be measured by the quality of schools, cost of living, rules for professional licensing, as well as access to military and veteran support programs.

Costs to the Department of the Air Force (15 points) — This category will assess one-time infrastructure and transportation costs, construction costs in the area, the basic housing allowance rate, and area locality pay.

Metropolitan statistical areas — The location must be within one of the US's 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas, based on 2019 population estimates by the Census Bureau. "This will ensure that eligible locations can support the expected increase in staff and their families," the letter says.

Proximity to a military base — It must be within 25 miles or less of a military base so service members and their families can access services like military housing, healthcare, and child care.

Livability index — It must have a livability index score of at least 50 points out of 100 as determined by the AARP's Public Policy Institute. This will ensure the location offers a quality of life — which includes affordable housing, safe and convenient transportation, clean air and water, and inclusive opportunities — that allows US Space Command to attract skilled workers.