Space Man

The Air Force has a new space policy chief in the Pentagon.

The service announced yesterday that Troy Meink was appointed to the position of deputy under secretary for space on Nov. 18. The job entails directing the staff of the Defense Department's executive agent for space -- a role filled by the Air Force secretary -- and coordinating all kinds of space policy and strategy across the Air Force and the rest of DOD.

Meink's official bio shows that he spent the last five years working as the director of signals intelligence systems acquisition at the National Reconnaissance Office. As an overseer of the Air Force's space portfolio, his responsibilities will include some signals intelligence programs, but also a large number of communications, positioning and missile defense satellite constellations.

Earlier in his career, Meink managed the Transformational Satellite Communications System program, which was terminated as part of the fiscal year 2010 budget.