WASHINGTON — A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed on March 29 that John Plumb, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, will be stepping down in May.
After serving for two years as the first assistant secretary of defense for space policy, a position established by Congress in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, Plumb is now leaving his post.
A spokesperson confirmed that Plumb declared his plan to depart in early May to his team, without providing further details.
Plumb’s responsibilities include space policy, nuclear weapons, cyber, missile defense, electromagnetic warfare, and countering weapons of mass destruction.
Confirmed in 2022
John Plumb, a former Aerospace Corp. executive, was nominated by President Biden in July 2021 and confirmed by the Senate in March 2022.
Most recently, he has overseen the development of a commercial space integration strategy, expressing excitement for innovation in space and potential opportunities for the department to exploit.
Regarding space security, Plumb has been involved in initiatives to establish “norms of behavior” in the space domain and has expressed concerns about the anti-satellite weapon advancements by China and Russia.
