{"id":35814,"date":"2020-10-30T19:37:49","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T19:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/10\/30\/pentagon-establishes-new-space-policy-position\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:54:14","slug":"pentagon-establishes-new-space-policy-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2020\/10\/30\/pentagon-establishes-new-space-policy-position\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon establishes new space policy position"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. Defense Department has named Justin Johnson as the individual performing the duties of the assistant secretary of defense for space policy, a new position in a new office required under the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress in December 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A former Heritage Foundation defense analyst, Johnson served as the deputy assistant defense secretary for space policy since the departure of Stephen Kitay in August. Johnson first arrived at the Pentagon as part of the president\u2019s transition team in 2016<\/a>, and has since served in a number of positions, including as senior staff member under Defense Secretary Mark Esper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The assistant secretary of defense for space policy, or ASD(SP), will be the senior official in charge of the Pentagon\u2019s space war-fighting policy, serving beneath the undersecretary of defense for policy. As part of that role, the ASD(SP) will also be responsible for coordinating space policy and strategy between agencies and international partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\t