A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the current headquarters for U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs is not sustainable without significant new construction — a key development as political debates over the command’s permanent location continue to intensify.

The report, released Thursday, revealed that while Space Command is currently “fully operational,” officials cited major personnel, facility, and communications challenges. “As a result of identified challenges, officials stated the command's posture is not sustainable long term and new military construction would be needed to support the headquarters' operations in Colorado Springs, Colorado,” the GAO stated.

The release comes amid an ongoing dispute over whether the command should remain at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado or relocate to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama — a site the Air Force initially selected in the final days of the Trump administration.

“The main argument for keeping it in Colorado was always that new construction would not be needed right away,” said Todd Harrison, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. “But if that situation has changed, it certainly makes Alabama more favorable.”

The GAO also highlighted ongoing staffing difficulties, reporting that as of fall 2024, Space Command had filled only 1,024 of its 1,379 authorized positions. The shortage was particularly stark among government civilian roles, with just 576 of 809 filled. Officials attributed this to “uncertainty regarding the command's final location and the complexities of hiring government civilians over the more straightforward process of assigning military personnel.”

Beyond staffing, the GAO reported that current facilities fall short of meeting the command’s critical needs. Space Command officials told investigators that a “permanent, purpose-built facility” was required to meet security, IT, power, and space requirements. They added that “without new construction, command, control, and mission operations will continue to operate inefficiently with greater vulnerabilities to mission, facilities, and personnel.”

The report noted benefits to staying in Colorado, such as proximity to other key commands like U.S. Northern Command, but officials said there were drawbacks — including issues related to sharing IT infrastructure with Peterson Space Force Base.

Alissa Czyz, director of the GAO’s Defense Capabilities and Management team, said the report aimed to assess how the Biden administration reached its decision to keep the headquarters in Colorado, and what operational issues Space Command currently faces.

“There was some rigorous analysis performed, kind of in response to some shortcomings identified both by GAO and IG [the DoD inspector general] in our original reports, citing the need for additional analyses and also incorporating military leaders' views of the risks with whatever location,” Czyz said.

The new GAO report is one of several investigations launched since 2021, following initial pushback against the Trump administration’s selection of Alabama. Former House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers, R-Ala., initiated both GAO and Pentagon Inspector General reviews after the Biden administration reversed that decision in 2023.

The GAO report noted that in July 2023, Space Command “proposed a construction project for a new multistory, permanent headquarters facility to replace its current temporary and leased facilities,” estimated at $1.5 billion and slated for completion by 2034. However, that project has been paused due to Rogers’ provision in the 2023 defense bill freezing construction funding until the investigations concluded.

“According to U.S. Space Command officials, this project was put on hold and no further planning for the construction of a headquarters facility in Colorado Springs had been initiated as of March 2025,” the report stated.

Rogers, reacting to the GAO’s findings, said they reinforce the case for moving the command. “The GAO report yet again affirms that Huntsville is the best option for Space Command’s headquarters,” he said. “When making his decision to locate the combatant command headquarters in Huntsville, President Trump prioritized transparency, national security, and a commitment to saving taxpayer dollars.”

Neither former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin nor former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall provided interviews to Pentagon investigators, citing confidential conversations with President Biden. However, the GAO was able to interview Kendall, who said “he was informed of the decision shortly before it happened,” according to Czyz.

Despite a growing body of reports and investigations, lawmakers from both Colorado and Alabama continue to stand firm in their positions.

Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., remained defiant following the GAO’s latest release. “The release of today's GAO report is clear: Colorado Springs is the best home for U.S. Space Command's headquarters,” he wrote on social media. “Continued efforts to move the headquarters only hurts our national security. Space Command is fully operational, and the Department of Defense needs to move quickly to construct a permanent HQ at Peterson Space Force Base to put the issue to bed, once and for all.”

Originally reported by Thomas Novelly and Rebecca Kheel in Military.Com