SPACEBASE DESIGN Just as constructors and survival systems develop as separate subprograms within the Space Seed development program, the constructor subprogram consists of robotics, machine shop and constructor operating system sub-subprograms. The constructor development sub-programs are – 1. Assembly - robotics that can assemble all its own parts – assembly knowledge 2. Machining - machine shop that can make all its own parts – design knowledge 3. Constructor OS - software to design, make, assemble & operate – knowledge integration Each of these sub-subprograms will cycle through design, build, test, refine cycles. They can proceed in parallel by using existing machine tools, existing CAD-CAM software and simulation. The first stage constructor development is a robot assembling a robot duplicate of ‘itself’ from elementary components. NASA proposed this start with assemble from major sub-systems, then sub-sub-systems etc, until robotic assembly from elementary components is developed. NASA’s plan included teleoperation with a human able to intervene to correct the systems operation. The FANAC robot factory with a robotic factory assembling robots partially achieves this, but has not integrated all the assembly operations into a single robot work station. The second stage of development is to define a set of machine tools that can be used to make all the parts of which it is composed, while minimize the required set of part, operations and materials to optimize the design. NASA proposed then extending this to also make all the parts of which the ‘self’- assembling robot is made. Note: this system is only able to ‘self’-replicate itself and has not been designed to be universal, that is to have the capacity to make any part and assemble any machine. The third stage to extend this ‘self-’replication from stock materials was not defined by NASA’s study, which identified infinite design regression and the lack of connection to von Neumann’s programmable cellular automata (non-physical) self-replication as roadblock issues, that EnGen Institute later solved.