The Honorable John F. Plumb served as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy from March 2022 to May 2024. In that role he was responsible for the overall supervision of policy for the Department of Defense for space warfighting. His policy portfolio encompassesd the Department’s strategic capabilities for integrated deterrence: space, nuclear weapons, cyber, missile defense, electromagnetic warfare, and countering weapons of mass destruction.

Dr. Plumb has three decades of service in various national security roles both in and out of uniform. He started his career as an active duty US Navy submarine officer, serving onboard a fast attack Los Angeles-class submarine and then as an instructor at the Navy’s nuclear power. school. He transitioned to the Navy reserves, commanding eight different reserve units over 20 years, and retiring as a Captain in 2022. In his civilian career he has held national security roles in the Senate, the Pentagon, and on the National Security Council staff at the White House. Prior to his confirmation he ran (unsuccessfully) for Congress, then spent several years working for two of the Department’s Federally Funded Research and Development Centers: first as a Senior Engineer at the Rand Corporation, and then as Chief of Government Relations for the Aerospace Corporation. He is currently working as an independent consultant and strategic advisor for commercial companies interested in national security missions.

He holds a B.S. in Physics from the University of Notre Dame, and an M.S. in Physics and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado. His personal military decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Navy Commendation Medal. His civil service awards include the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award, the Department of
State Superior Honor Award, and the Secretary of Energy Achievement Award.

Kelvin B. Coleman is the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation (AST) at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In this role, he leads the office responsible for enabling safe space transportation and protecting the health and safety of the public, the safety of property, and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States.

Mr. Coleman was named associate administrator in 2022, and prior to that had served as acting associate administrator or deputy associate administrator since 2017.

During this time, he has overseen regulation of the commercial space industry, and development and implementation of FAA regulations and services necessary to meet a tremendous growth in stakeholder needs as commercial companies provide space transportation to civil, military, international and private customers. In 2023, his office licensed 124 launch and re-entry operations, a 48 percent increase just from a year earlier.

Mr. Coleman has prepared the AST organization to meet these growing industry demands by establishing strategic priorities, restructuring the organization for increased efficiency and agility, acquiring advanced tools, and advocating for additional resources.

Mr. Coleman has also led efforts to establish clear authorities involving commercial space activity by working closely with other agencies including the National Space Council, the National Transportation Safety Board, NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and the Departments of Defense and Commerce to ensure transparency and clarity among all stakeholders.  He has led global leadership initiatives to educate and collaborate with numerous international allies seeking to grow their space services.

Prior to joining the FAA, Mr. Coleman worked for the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) as a systems engineer, and as a guidance, navigation, and control engineer for several weapon system acquisition programs. 

Mr. Coleman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University and a master’s in business administration from Marymount University.

Akash Vangani is a deputy chief engineer supporting the Launch Services Program (LSP) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Since 2018, Vangani has been responsible for all engineering aspects related to design, integration and processing of flight hardware elements and facility/ground support equipment. He provides technical insight and approval for missions, with recommendations for final “Go/No Go” launch decisions.

In this position, Vangani is responsible for the implementation of the program technical oversight policy. Some notable missions that Vangani has supported recently include the Solar Orbiter, Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Satellite, Lucy, Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), and Psyche.