Several military commands—the primary customers for space-based research, development, acquisition, and operations—advance aerospace growth in the state.
Colorado’s military assets generate an annual economic impact of approximately $36.6 billion, or just over 7% of the state’s total economic output. Defense-related economic activity directly and indirectly supports about 247,000 jobs, or 7.5% of the state’s workforce.
Military Commands:
- United States Space Force Space Operations Command
Headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, SFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations. - U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command (SMDC/ARSTRAT)
Located in Colorado Springs, SMDC/ARSTRAT serves as the Army's force modernization proponent for space, high altitude and global missile defense. - North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
Based in Colorado Springs, NORAD is a United States and Canada bi-national organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America. - U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM)
Provides command and control of Department of Defense (DOD) homeland defense efforts and to coordinate defense support of civil authorities.
Military Bases:
- Buckley Space Force Base
Based in Aurora, Buckley Space Force Base is home to the Buckley Garrison of the United States Space Force and supports more than 85 tenant organizations that represent all branches of the military. The base is also home to the Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado, one of the nation’s three satellite ground stations operated by the National Reconnaissance Office. Buckley is hosts the only space-based missile warning system in the nation.
- Peterson Space Force Base
The U.S. Space Force’s Peterson-Schriever Garrison is located at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs. Peterson Space Force Base is also the home of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), United States Space Command (USSPACECOM), U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command (SMDC/ARSTRAT), the 302nd Airlift Wing, as well as a number of other smaller tenant units.
- Schriever Space Force Base
Located in Colorado Springs, Schriever Space Force Base is home to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center, the 310th Space Wing, the 100th Missile Defense Brigade, the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense and numerous tenant organizations. In addition to tracking and maintaining the command and control, warning, navigational and communications satellites for the U.S. Space Command, Schriever Space Force Base also performs diverse cyberspace operations.
Space Deltas:
Following the U.S. Space Force’s deactivation of some former U.S. Air Force space wings and replacement with Space Deltas and Garrisons, seven of the eight newly created Space Deltas are located in Colorado:
- Space Delta 2 is focused on space domain awareness and is housed at Peterson Space Force Base.
- Space Delta 3 is focused on electronic warfare and is housed at Peterson Space Force Base.
- Space Delta 4 is focused on missile warning and replaces the 460th Operations Group at Buckley Space Force Base.
- Space Delta 6 focuses on cyberspace operations and replaces the 50th Network Operations Group at Schriever Space Force Base.
- Space Delta 7 focuses on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at Peterson Space Force Base.
- Space Delta 8 is focused on satellite communications and navigation warfare and replaces the 50th Operations Group at Schriever Space Force Base.
- Space Delta 9 focuses on orbital warfare and is housed at Schriever Space Force Base.