Senator Cornyn

Cornyn Supports Texas for Space Command HQ

August 7, 2020

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force John Henderson expressing his full support of hosting the Space Command Headquarters in Fort Worth, Houston, or San Antonio, Texas.

He wrote: “The history of U.S. spaceflight is incomplete without mentions of accomplishments made in Texas, by Texans. Texas’ strong connections to our nation’s space programs and the defense and space industries as a whole make it a fitting choice to headquarter the U.S. Space Command. NASA’s Johnson Space Center in “Space City”, Texas and companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, SPACEX, and hundreds of other defense and space companies call Texas home.”

“Texas, known as our nation’s most military-friendly state, is currently home to 15 military bases, 1 out of every 9 U.S. servicemembers, and more than 1.6 million U.S. veterans. Because of the military’s strong presence in Texas, you’ll find proud, patriotic, and military-friendly communities across our state.”


You can view today’s signed letter here, and text is below.

August 7, 2020

The Honorable John Henderson
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force
1670 Air Force Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20330-1670

Dear Secretary Henderson,

Thank you for your consideration of three great Texas cities – Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio – as the location for United States Space Command. Each of these cities self-nominated and meets your selection criteria, and I strongly endorse their applications.

The history of U.S. spaceflight is incomplete without mentions of accomplishments made in Texas, by Texans. Texas’ strong connections to our nation’s space programs and the defense and space industries as a whole make it a fitting choice to headquarter the U.S. Space Command. NASA’s Johnson Space Center in “Space City”, Texas and companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, SPACEX, and hundreds of other defense and space companies call Texas home. We also have several top-tier universities already working with the DoD on high-priority research. The existing space and defense industries in our state paired with Texas’s diverse population would provide Space Command Headquarters with a large pool of highly-skilled workers in any of the three Texas cities that have applied.

Texas, known as our nation’s most military-friendly state, is currently home to 15 military bases, 1 out of every 9 U.S. servicemembers, and more than 1.6 million U.S. veterans. Because of the military’s strong presence in Texas, you’ll find proud, patriotic, and military-friendly communities across our state.  It’s no secret Texas’ population is growing every day as families flock toward our excellent schools, housing, and unparalleled quality of life. You will not find a better state to host your Space Command HQ.

I would fully support your selection of Fort Worth, Houston, or San Antonio as a future location for the U.S. Space Command Headquarters.

Sincerely,

/s/