Fort Worth One Of 3 Texas Cities Sen. Cruz Wants Selected As U.S. Space Command Headquarters
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBSDFW.COM) – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, today sent a letter to Secretary of the Air Force advocating for the cities of Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio to be selected to host U.S. Space Command Headquarters.
The Air Force has already announced that the three Texas cities would continue to the evaluation phase of the selection process.
In the letter, Sen. Cruz wrote:
"There is no better location for the men and women of Space Command than the great state of Texas. Cities and towns across Texas have been repeatedly recognized as among the best communities in the nation for supporting the military, including through numerous national awards from veterans' organizations and the Department of Defense for their support of military bases."
Cruz said that Fort Worth "easily meets and exceeds the Air Force's stated criteria for the headquarters of U.S. Space Command. Fort Worth houses the expansive Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth with over 10,000 active duty and reserve members of the Navy, Marines, Army, and Air Force assigned to the base. Similar to both San Antonio and Houston, Fort Worth is home to numerous top-notch universities and colleges like Texas Christian University and Texas Wesleyan University. This city is also home to a number of leaders in advanced industries, including the one-of-a-kind Lockheed Martin facility, where the world's most advanced fighter jet, the F-35, is built and tested."
He went on to explain in the letter why San Antonio and Houston are good options:
"San Antonio, nicknamed Military City USA, is home to numerous Air Force, Army, and Navy bases, including Fort Sam Houston, Randolph Air Force Base, Lackland Air Force Base, Camp Bullis, Camp Stanley, and Martindale Army Airfield, all of which are under the umbrella of Joint Base San Antonio. The city also has a number of great Texas universities and colleges which include the University of Texas San Antonio, Trinity University, and Texas Lutheran University. San Antonio also hosts a robust and advanced aerospace industrial base including the Boeing Corporation's large presence at Kelly Field and the Southwest Research Institute which has led a number of complex space projects for NASA including the New Horizons mission."
"Houston, nicknamed Space City, is not only home to the Johnson Space Center which itself is home to the famed Mission Control Center of NASA, but also the Army's 75th Innovation Command and Ellington Air Force Base, all of which contribute to Houston's recognition as the most diverse big city in America. The city has a number of terrific colleges and universities including Rice University and the University of Houston. It also hosts advanced industries, many of which are well versed in all things space like Jacobs, Oceaneering, Intuitive Machines, Paragon Space Development Corporation, and the large contingent of the Boeing Corporation's Defense, Space & Security Division, which, among many other things, helps to keep the International Space Station in top shape for American astronauts and our international partners."
Sen. Cruz is a leading advocate for standing up a Space Force. In 2019, Sen. Cruz chaired a hearing that examined current approaches to civil-military coordination, cooperation, de-confliction activities, and related issues, and discussed future architectures for managing the space domain.
"Texas is the prime location for the new headquarters for U.S. Space Command. Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio have proven track records of providing a great home to military members and veterans, supporting advanced educational institutions to train the next generation of service members, and fostering advanced industries on the cutting edge of aerospace and space exploration […] I'm proud to be a passionate supporter of and advocate for the Space Force, space exploration, and renewed American leadership in space, and I am eager to see the great things the new headquarters of U.S. Space Command will accomplish."
