The outgoing head of U.S. Space Command walked through Auburn University’s main campus and its Applied Research Institute in Huntsville, telling university leaders that Auburn’s research aligns closely with the command’s mission and that he sees incredible collaboration opportunities ahead. Gen. Stephen Whiting’s visit comes as Space Command races to build out its presence at nearby Redstone Arsenal, a buildup that could eventually bring roughly 1,800 jobs to north Alabama.
Whiting, who is leading the transition of Space Command’s headquarters to Redstone Arsenal, is preparing to relinquish command in late 2026 or early 2027 as he heads toward retirement, according to AL.com. During the campus stop, Auburn briefed him on engineering programs and research spanning advanced and additive manufacturing, small satellite systems, space operator development, GPS and vehicle dynamics. Auburn senior vice president for research and economic development Steve Taylor said it was an honor to share the university’s research impact and educational programs with senior military leadership, per the same report.
A New Huntsville Lab Built for Testing
The Huntsville stop on Whiting’s tour included Auburn’s newly opened 50,000-square-foot laboratory in Cummings Research Park, a facility Auburn and its partners say represents an investment of more than $30 million, according to Auburn University. A separate account from 1819 News described it simply as a $30 million facility, with hundreds of attendees, including elected officials and school leaders, packing in for the grand opening. Testing operations at the lab are scheduled to begin in early 2027, the university says.
The institute is also developing what it describes as the nation’s first university-led radiation effects testing facility for space electronics, along with a classified space operations training center, according to the seed facts behind AL.com’s reporting. Axios has reported separately that researchers at the institute are studying everything from space radiation’s effects on electronics to 3D printing with carbon fiber, underscoring the breadth of work happening inside the new building…