From DerbyInformer.com

South central Kansas could provide new Space Command headquarters

• By Kelly Breckunitch kelly@derbyinformer.com

Derby and Wichita are two of the four nominees in Kansas being considered as the new headquarters for U.S. Space Command – which is responsible for military operations in outer space.

At the start of September, four Kansas cities were announced as potential sites for the new U.S. Space Command headquarters – with Derby and Wichita among that short list.

The U.S. Air Force announced its search for a new location for Space Command – currently operating out of Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. – back in May, distributing screening information to governors across the country.

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Air capital

Derby and Wichita, along with Kansas City and Leavenworth, were the Kansas cities to be nominated – with 25 other states having nominees approved. Now, Nave [Greater Wichita Partnership's Executive Vice President of Economic Development Andrew Nave] noted the Air Force will review proposals over the next month and select a number of candidate locations by November. Potentially working in Wichita and Derby’s favor are their proximity to a hub of aerospace industry.

 

“We’re extremely proud of Wichita State University and the unparalleled assets that they have in aviation. They have the National Institute for Aviation Research, the National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT), which is now part of WSU Tech,” Nave said. “We have these very unique [sic] assets that few other places in the world have for aerospace, and so that was a big part of our presentation.”

Beyond the area’s aerospace heritage, Nave also highlighted the qualified work force that makes up the bulk of personnel at McConnell – with many of those airmen and women living nearby in Derby. That relationship, along with its quality of life aspects (schools, parks, etc.), are factors that Nave said made Derby’s consideration within the proposal an easy choice.

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