Colorado Springs Braces For Space Force Growth And Infrastructure Demands

By Mary Shinn | The Gazette

As the Space Force prepares to double in size over the next five years, Peterson Space Force Base will need additional space and people to support the growth.

The intense period of expansion is expected even as Space Command headquarters relocates to Huntsville, Ala., because it is a small piece of all the space operations in town.

Peterson Space Force Base and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station employ about 8,200 active-duty troops, civilians and contractors and have a combined payroll of $837 million, according to a Tuesday presentation by Col. Kenneth Klock, commander of the Space Base Delta 1.

The combined economic impact of the two bases is about $2.6 billion, per the report. The entire Space Force employs about 10,000 people in specialized roles, a number that could double.

Klock outlined the achievements, expectations and needs across the bases during the annual State of the Base address, which drew prominent community leaders.

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