But the Bush administration has talked about developing a system that can also defend against an accidental or unauthorized launching.
One organisation has already reacted to the changes by developing a system that makes solar installation more viable.
AT&T is talking about developing a system that would identify and block illicitly copied material being sent over its broadband network.
It has been developing a system that monitors the steering wheel and pedals for lapses typical of the onset of sleep.
Although the company currently offers the traffic service, it doesn't plan to promote it until it finishes developing a system that reads the reports to drivers.
"We're developing a system that can test a person for work-related hearing loss with the same level of accuracy that they would get from visiting a doctor.
Ford is developing a system that would let drivers use phones and music players and surf the Internet with voice commands and audible responses.
Germany's Siemens is developing a system that floods a thick copper cable with an electrical current to create an alternating magnetic field to melt bitumen.
And in Britain, Cambridge Flat Projection Displays is developing a system that uses a wedge-shaped screen; by deflecting light through various angles, the screen can be as thin as an eighth of an inch.
The report recommended eliminating that requirement, saying, "Developing a system that enables water distribution from water-rich areas to water-poor areas seems to make good environmental and economic sense".
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as Darpa, is starting a "blood pharming" program aimed at developing a system that can make red blood cells from progenitor cells on the battlefield.
