Palmdale Applies for Space Force Headquarters

Palmdale has applied to be the location of the headquarters for the U.S. Space Command, according to city officials. The Antelope Valley city has received an endorsement from Gov. Gavin Newsom and support from State Sen. Scott Wilk, Assemblyman Tom Lackey, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. The city has not heard back yet from the federal government regarding its application, a spokesman said. Mayor Steve Hofbauer said that with its rich aerospace history, the region is the best place for the headquarters. “Some of the most sophisticated aircraft, including the space shuttles, have been designed, built, flown and tested here at (Air Force) Plant 42 and at Edwards Air Force Base,” Hofbauer said in a statement. “Aerospace is in our DNA.” Criteria for the Space Command headquarters include having a population base within the top 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country, be located within 25 miles of a military base and have a livability index score of 50 points out of 100 or higher as determined by the American Association of Retired Persons Public Policy Institute. Palmdale meets all those criteria. City Manager J.J. Murphy, a retired Air Force officer, said he was proud of the hard work the city staff put into the application, adding, “Palmdale and the entire Aerospace Valley would be an ideal place for the Space Force Headquarters.” The U.S. Space Command is a separate branch of the Defense Department responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically at 100 kilometers and above mean sea level.