An Architecture for Self-Replicating Lunar Factories

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to analyze the feasibility of an automated robotic factory system for the in-situ development of lunar resources. The ultimate goal of such a system is to make resources available for construction of a lunar colony and the transportation of re¯ned resources to low-lunar or low-Earth orbit for construction of large spacecraft. Our proposed architecture for accomplishing this goal consisted of ¯ve subsystems: (1) multi-functional robots for digging and transportation of materi-als, and assembly of components during the replication process; (2) materials re¯ning plant; (3) parts manufacturing facility; (4) solar energy conversion, storage and trans-mission; (5) Electromagnetic guns for long-distance transportation (e.g., for sending materials to low-Earth orbit, or transporting replicated factories to distal points on the moon). The key issue to determine the feasibility of this approach in the NIAC time frame was whether or not complementary technologies expected over the next 10 to 40 years would exist for an autonomous robotic factory to function. In particular, it was not clear a priori whether such a system could be devised such that it would be small