EXPLORATION PARK, FLORIDA — Governor DeSantis announced on Wednesday that Florida’s Patrick Space Force Base was chosen as the official Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) headquarters for the U.S. Space Force.
The governor’s office said Florida is the most military-friendly state and the move solidifies Cape Canaveral as America’s hub for both military and private space operations.
“From Project Mercury to today’s privatized spaceflight, Americans look to Florida’s Space Coast to see history in the making,” said Governor DeSantis. “We are honored to host the Space Training and Readiness Command headquarters and continue Florida’s history as America’s gateway to outer space.”
GUARDIANS TO TRAIN IN SPACE WARFARE
STARCOM will prepare combat-ready U.S. Space Force (USSF) Guardians to fight and win in what the military branch called “a contested, degraded, and operationally limited environment.” Space professionals will test and evaluate USSF capabilities while studying “space warfighting tactics.”
Frank DiBello, President and CEO of Space Florida said Florida is a strategic state in the advancement of space defense and national security and STARCOM is a significant milestone in Florida’s history.
“With an unmatched aerospace infrastructure, military installations, and top-tier academic institutions, Florida provides key collaborative partnerships that will advance space military operations right from our Space Coast,” Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez said.
Space Florida worked in partnership with Florida Defense Support Task Force, Enterprise Florida, the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida High Tech Corridor, Florida Institute of Technology, National Center for Simulation, Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation, University of Central Florida, and other state and local entities on the campaign to bring STARCOM headquarters to Florida.
