The idea is to start sending up micro satieties, possibly with self replication capabilities to start colonizing the moon and mars. They serve as the heralds for humanity. They are about the size of a rubix cube and have self contain power, solar, cpu and simple actuators.

They will still be under the "command" of the home base (on Earth), which can upload new schematics to "upgrade" them. The mother satellite will have the ability to replicate more micro satellite using some basic furnace and smelting and micro-engineering technologies.
-- ddn3, Jul 13 2010

generally referred to as von Neumann machines http://en.wikipedia...replicating_machine
[MisterQED, Jul 13 2010]

Google "N-Prize"
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 13 2010


//Google "N-Prize"// I don't think even Monroe is working on any von Neumann machines.
-- MisterQED, Jul 13 2010


We could always send ants, as per the first annotation on the N-Prize...
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 13 2010


Alas this is baked, I'm surprised were not doing this now. I'm sure its alot cheaper than sending people into space, initially anyways. 1-2 billion and u can make a self replicating micro satellite and mother satellites on the moon to build u a moon colony for cheap!
-- ddn3, Jul 13 2010


//1-2 billion and u can make a self replicating micro satellite and mother satellites on the moon to build u a moon colony for cheap!//

Can you provide a link showing any self-replicating machine?
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 13 2010


Actually, [Ian_Tindale], I think he means "one." Which he's abbreviating, in Roman Numerals, as "I" Which, as you point out, is right next to "u" on the keyboard.
-- mouseposture, Jul 14 2010


Examples of self replicating machines? That's why it would take 1-2 billion. It's not beyond our technology, but since there was never a need for such a thing we'll have to create it. The first of anything will be expensive.

Moon has water + rock + maybe metals? probably doesn't contain enough accessible metals or carbon to make anything worthwhile, so Mars might be a better place to set it up. Mars has metals + water + carbon so we can in theory make plastics, metallic components and we'll stuff the mother satellite with rare earth metals which it can't find on its own.

Using fast fabrication technology already being developed, it's well in the realm of technical feasibility i feel.
-- ddn3, Jul 14 2010


that wikipedia article mentions this exact idea.
-- ixnaum, Jul 16 2010



random, halfbakery