News In Brief

'Star Wars' defense plan is too far out, study says

President Reagan's promise of a ''Stars Wars'' space defense system that could someday eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons appears unattainable in the foreseeable future, a congressional study said Tuesday.

Success of ''Star Wars'' technology ''is so remote that it should not serve as the basis of public expectation or national policy about ballistic missile defense,'' the respected Office of Technology Assessment said.

Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale called for a moratorium on testing or placing weapons in space as a step toward negotiated international treaties. Speaking in Cleveland Tuesday, Mr. Mondale said President Reagan had pushed the world closer to nuclear holocaust with his pursuit of space weapons systems.