While the “autofac” might not be feasible at this time, it’s interesting to consider how to minimize the required size of a civilization that’s productive enough to survive on eg Mars or an asteroid.
To be clear, I think the autofac concept—with external “vitamins” for electronics etc—is in fact technically feasible right now and if teleoperated has been for decades. It’s not economically competitive, but that’s a totally different target.
While the “autofac” might not be feasible at this time, it’s interesting to consider how to minimize the required size of a civilization that’s productive enough to survive on eg Mars or an asteroid.
To be clear, I think the autofac concept—with external “vitamins” for electronics etc—is in fact technically feasible right now and if teleoperated has been for decades. It’s not economically competitive, but that’s a totally different target.