Lockheed CEO hails approval of space based defense study

At the Reuters Aerospace and Defense summit in Washington, Lockheed-Martin chief executive Robert Stevens praised Congress' approval of $5 million for an independent study of possible space-based interceptor missiles as part of U.S. anti-missile defense.

At the Reuters Aerospace and Defense Summit on December 16, Lockheed Martin Corp'chief executive praised a measure in the 2009 Defense budget that is a step toward exploring the feasibility of putting defensive weapons in space. Congress approved $5 million for a study of  space-based interceptor missiles in September.

Robert Stevens told attendees that Lockheed "has had an interest in these applications for probably 20 or 25 years," Reuters reported.  "And I think it's very important to study what the art of the possible is."