Space Colonization Essay

Self-replicating machines offer an underexplored potential to rapidly establish an interplanetary economy.

For the rest of this essay such machines will be called Neumanns.

Background
Self replicating machines have been proposed as early as the 1500s, however the first serious proposals of it were from John Von Neumann in the late 1940s. In 2008 a breakthrough occurred with RepRap, an open source 3D printer which printed most of its own parts.

However the project was incomplete in its achievement, due to being unable to print much of its more complicated components such as microcontrollers.

RepRap researchers have attempted various means of developing necessary microcontrollers and other electronic components including printed electronics, but have not yet had success in developing the necessary technology.

Design
Neumanns would not necessarily need to be reliable in their functions. Their purpose is not to be reliable, their purpose would be to sequester resources for easy use by humans.

If a failing unit is capable of being consumed by a functioning one then the only losses will be the energy expense of producing the unit, and the opportunity cost of a failed unit being unable to produce new units.

Astrography
Asteroid Belt, Jupiter Trojans, Hilda Asteroids, Saturn Rings