John F. Plumb (born 1970/1971)[2] is an American aerospace engineer, politician, and United States Navy Reserve captain who served as the first assistant secretary of defense for space policy.

He later earned a Master of Science degree in physics and a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder.

[7] From 2004 to 2009, he worked under Colorado Senator Ken Salazar first as a congressional science and technology fellow, then as a legislative assistant.

[8] Plumb left the National Security Council in 2015 to run as the Democratic Party candidate for the 23rd congressional district in New York, challenging the Republican incumbent, Tom Reed.

[7][6] On July 29, 2021, Joe Biden nominated Plumb to serve as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy.