WASHINGTON -- A newly revised space policy puts defense at the top of the list and could bode well for electronics companies that supply that market.

President Bush signed the new policy to little fanfare earlier this month, The Washington Post reported today.

The new policy ties together space leadership and national security. It reads, in part, that Bush's goal is to "strengthen the nation's space leadership and ensure that space capabilities are available in time to further U.S. national security, homeland security, and foreign policy objectives" and to "enable unhindered U.S. operation in and through space to defend our interest there," the newspaper reported.

It is the first full revision of overall U.S. space policy in 10 years.

The paper quoted administration spokesmen as indicating that putting weapons systems into space was not part of the new policy. However, some government observers disagreed, saying this was a first step toward that eventuality, the paper said.