Buckeye Reporter

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On June 7, 2023, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and U.S. Representatives David Joyce (R-OH-14), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Max Miller (R-OH-07), Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13) and Greg Landsman (D-OH-01) called on the Biden administration to choose Ohio’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in Dayton as the headquarters for the U.S. Space Command and to locate additional U.S. Space Force units in Ohio in partnership with the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky.

In a letter to President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, and Chief of Space Operations General B. Chance Saltzman, the lawmakers write that the numerous industry and university parties in the state -- along with existing U.S. Air Force and NASA bases and facilities – make Ohio ideally suited to host U.S. Space Command and Space Force units – should the Department of Defense (DoD) choose to re-locate the Command HQ.

“The state of Ohio is ideally suited to host U.S. Space Command and Space Force Units,” wrote the lawmakers. “From the Wright brothers to American heroes like John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, the story of modern aviation is rooted in Ohio – and Ohio is ready to meet the challenges of the future. Ohio’s numerous industry and university partners in the state create a synergy around national security and space that is unmatched around the country.”

Wright-Patterson Air Force base is home to the center for science and technology, intelligence, and graduate education for both the Air Force and the Space Force. NASA Glenn—including the Lewis Field and Armstrong Test Facility—is a leader in the research and development of space-related technologies, many of which have strong defense applications. Additionally, Ohio’s numerous higher education and research institutions, apprenticeship and training programs, rich history in and support of the space industry, and manufacturing excellence make it a prime candidate to house the combatant Command Center.

Ohio is also home to key military bases and NASA facilities that already support key space-related operations – including innovation in space components and technology. Locating U.S. Space Command and additional U.S. Space Force units in Ohio will allow for a level of collaboration across existing Air Force and NASA Facilities – along with research universities in the state and across the Midwest – that will make our national space security both more efficient and effective.

These facilities include the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) and the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC); the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL); and other organizations at WPAFB; the 178th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Group at the Springfield Air National Guard Base; and NASA Glenn.

In 2020 Brown and former U.S. Senator  Rob Portman (R-OH), led the entire Ohio delegation in supporting Wright-Patt as the location for Space Command Headquarters. Ultimately, Ohio received the National Space Intelligence Center.

Brown hosted a news conference call on the letter and was joined by Elaine Bryant, Executive VP for Aerospace and Defense with the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC) and managing director with JobsOhio.

“Ohio has the workforce, quality of life, and strong support for our military families,” said DDC Executive Vice President for Aerospace and Defense Elaine Bryant. “Wright-Patt has expansive infrastructure and strong connection to the Space Command mission with organizations like the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, the National Space Intelligence Center, the 76th Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the synergy’s with the work being done at NASA Glenn.”

A copy of the letter can be found HERE and below.

Dear President Biden, Secretary Austin, Secretary Kendall, General Saltzman:

Should the Administration reconsider the next location for U.S. Space Command, and as the Department of the Air Force identifies the best locations for U.S. Space Force units, we believe it makes sense for the Command to be located within proximity of both U.S. Air Force and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in addition to leading international, research institutions. The state of Ohio is ideally suited to host U.S. Space Command and Space Force Units. It meets these criteria, and for these reasons, we urge you to locate the U.S. Space Command permanent headquarters at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in Dayton and to partner Space Force with NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center (GRC) including Lewis Field in Cleveland and the Armstrong Test Facility (ATF) in Sandusky.

From the Wright brothers to American heroes like John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, the story of modern aviation is rooted in Ohio – and Ohio is ready to meet the challenges of the future. Ohio’s numerous industry and university partners in the state create a synergy around national security and space that is unmatched around the country.

Ohio’s federal resources are uniquely situated to assist U.S. Space Command, including: the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC); the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC); the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL); and other organizations at WPAFB; the 178th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Group at the Springfield Air National Guard Base; and NASA GRC. These facilities support key space-related operations, including innovation in space components and technology. Co-locating the U.S. Space Command Headquarters with these assets will generate incredible potential for cross-functional collaboration that will greatly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.

For example, co-locating the U.S. Space Command with the AFRL will enable the Department of Defense (DoD) to re-imagine what is possible in terms of both military space power and the ability to address and deter military threats. Co-location with the Air Force’s laboratory will assist in the creation of new technologies and capabilities for the future of national security for both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.

Collaboration with NASIC, NCIS, the 178th ISR Group, and the 76th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (ISRS) will enhance the capability of U.S. Space Command to meet the imminent national security needs in this quickly advancing frontier. NASIC houses DoD’s primary capabilities for analyzing foreign space threats, providing intelligence to the U.S. Air Force. NCIS is DoD’s primary source for space intelligence and is the Space Force’s service intelligence center to “outwit, outreach, and win in the space domain.” The 178th ISR plays a critical role identifying and analyzing threat warnings to DoD, other federal agencies, commercial sector entities, and U.S. allies operating in space. The 76th ISRS, which is poised to come to WPAFB, will execute data exploitation across all orbital regimes to identify adversary capability, predict and define intent, and deliver enhanced threat warnings.

The close proximity to NASA GRC facilities at Lewis Field and ATF will allow U.S. Space Command to benefit from GRC’s exceptional experience and expertise in space missions. Specifically, GRC excels in researching and developing innovative technologies for both aeronautics and space exploration, particularly in the study of power and propulsion capabilities. ATF’s unique, one-of-a-kind facilities enable NASA, DoD, other federal agencies, and academic and industry partners to perform specialized research and testing that cannot be performed anywhere else in the world.

ATF offers remarkable capabilities to improve U.S. Space Force mission assurance, including the world’s largest thermal vacuum chamber at the Space Environment Complex, the only thermal vacuum chamber capable of rocket engine firing with the In-Space Propulsion Facility, and a Hypersonic Tunnel Facility capable of testing large-scale hypersonic air-breathing propulsion systems. Further, NASA GRC collaborates with industry, academia, and other federal agencies in developing advanced technologies related to hypersonics testing, electric propulsion (aeronautics and space), cryogenic fluids management, power and energy, communications technologies, physical sciences, biomedical technologies, and materials and structures.

WPAFB and NASA exceed the key criteria listed in the original strategic basing process for the U.S. Space Command headquarters – specifically the capacity requirements for space, housing, and parking, and the relatively low cost of construction. Ohio is home to exceptional educational programs that continue to develop engineering and acquisition professionals, who would enhance the effectiveness of U.S. Space Command and Space Force units.

In addition to Ohio’s many assets, it’s central proximity within America’s heartland make it an ideal location for ensuring access to the workforce and technology necessary to fulfill the U.S. Space Command’s headquarters mission. For generations, servicemembers from the Midwest have answered the call of duty and served in our nation’s military. Yet, the Midwest – especially since the post-Cold War reduction in the Strategic Air Command – is home to few active-duty military installations. The result is that while the region provides our nation with soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, few serve in the region they call home.

The same is true with NASA’s facilities. While many of NASA’s best scientists and engineers are trained in the Midwest, GRC is the only NASA laboratory not on the coast. The children of the Midwest should not have to leave the region to serve their nation.

Location of U.S. Space Command and additional Space Force assets would address this geographical imbalance. Furthermore, by locating in Ohio, Space Command would be close to many of the world’s leading research universities and federal laboratories in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois. This proximity is unmatched.

The Ohio Congressional delegation, Governor of Ohio, Ohio universities and industry sector partners, and economic development organizations have supported this effort in the past. Ohio has a proud history of contributing to the nation’s defense and supporting space missions, and stands ready to meet the space-related national security challenges the United States faces now and in the future. Should the Administration reconsider it siting, Ohio will be a great home to U.S. Space Command headquarters and additional Space Force units.

Thank you for your consideration of Ohio to host the U.S. Space Command permanent headquarters and future Space Force activities.

Original source can be found here.