Autonomous Building of Structures in Space by Robots
The autonomous building of structures in space by robots represents a fundamental paradigm shift for aerospace engineering. Historically, large space assets—such as the International Space Station, massive communication antennas, and deep-space telescopes—have been constrained by the physical dimensions and weight limits of rocket fairings, relying heavily on manual astronaut extravehicular activity (EVA) or complex, pre-programmed mechanical deployments. Shifting toward autonomous robotic manufacturing and assembly enables the creation of kilometer-scale infrastructure directly in orbit or on planetary surfaces. Key Motivations & Capabilities Bypassing Rocket Fairing Limits: Rockets can only launch payloads up to a certain width and mass. Autonomous assembly allows components to be packed efficiently as modular blocks or raw stock, then built into massive structures (e. g., giant optical and radio telescopes, colossal solar power stations) once in orbit. Minimizing ...