The headquarters for U.S. Space Command will be on the move under a new decision from the Trump Administration.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, Sept. 2, that Space Command's headquarters will be relocated from Colorado to Alabama. The move is the latest update in a years-long battle over the home of the military's newest combatant command, which is now based in Colorado Springs.

But while Colorado officials have touted the state's ties to the Air Force as a reason for Space Command to remain there, Alabama officials have long lobbied hard that as a hub for aerospace and defense, Huntsville, the largest city in the state, is a far better home base. The city is now poised to be a major location in operations to expand U.S. military might to the cosmos as rivals like Russia and China similarly make their own space advances.

Here's everything to know about U.S. Space Command amid Trump's new decision to relocate its headquarters.

What is US Space Command? What does Space Command do?

The U.S. Space Command is responsible for military operations beyond Earth's atmosphere, or about 62 miles up and higher – the internationally recognized boundary of space known as the Kármán Line. That includes defending U.S. satellites from potential threats.

More specifically, Space Command conducts operations like enabling satellite-based navigation and troop communication, and providing warning of missile launches.

What is the difference between Space Force and Space Command?

The U.S. Space Force is a service branch of the military – like the Army or Navy – responsible for organizing, training and equipping personnel.

Space Command, on the other hand, is a combatant command under the U.S. Department of Defense that conducts military operations using forces from all military branches, including Space Force.

Just like the Marine Corps falls under the Department of the Navy rather than having its own department, Space Force falls under the Department of the Air Force as it was originally called Air Force Space Command, according to the Defense Department.

When was Space Command founded?

Space Command was originally created in 1985 to provide joint command and control for all military forces in outer space before it was merged into U.S. Strategic Command in 2002.

The Space Command was then established once again in 2019 under the first Trump administration with a new focus on potential space-based combat.

Where is Space Command headquartered?

Space Command operates from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs on an interim basis.

Trump's decision to move the headquarters to Huntsville, Alabama reverses a move made under former President Joe Biden's administration. Biden had selected Colorado Springs in 2023 as the permanent home for Space Command, a location proponents had said was best for military readiness.

But Huntsville, home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and a major hub for defense contractors, has long lobbied for the Space Command headquarters. The Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command is also located in Huntsville, which is nicknamed "Rocket City" because of its role in building the first rockets that helped the U.S. reach the moon.

A report released by the Government Accountability Office in June 2022 also found the Alabama site to be the "preferred location" over five others.

How many people are employed by the Space Command?

About 1,700 personnel work at Space Command, according to congressional records.

Contributing: Zac Anderson, USA TODAY; Reuters

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is US Space Command? What to know about military agency amid Trump HQ decision

Reporting by Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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