Revolutionary concepts through evolutionary progress - Modular robotics in space exploration

Abstract

The demand for scientific exploration and development of space exists and will remain as long as humans remain on earth. We are also living in a time of the most rapid change in technology breakthroughs and innovations which impact societal, economical, militarily and consequently priorities in level of funding. The development of long term leadership and vision and the supporting strategies is a great challenge within this dynamic and turbulent environment. Highly disciplined leadership with integrity and focus on the ultimate objectives is needed. Flexibility and adaptability is necessary at all levels that will maintain the course without curtailing vision, challenge, innovation and insights. The progress can be done in an atmosphere of respectful dialogue and open listening in a spirit of life-long learning and highly taxed implementation skills. While the cost to develop space capabilities is high and in the order hundred of millions of dollars, the demand for low cost, and higher return is getting louder and more persistent. Therefore to live and plan for the realities of the 21st Century and continue the scientific exploration and commercial development of space markets it is necessary to develop a long term vision with ambitious exciting challenges and capabilities that would cost few billions of dollars over many years, but could be strategically achieved in complementary manner in reasonable small modular multi-million dollars components leading to a great integrated capability. This step-by-step approach is feasible within a small but stable long-term investment if the goals are properly selected, clearly defined and remain consistently supported overtime by the community leadership. Commercial exploration of space is a high cost, high value endeavor that will have a long-term social, technical impact on the future of the US, and the world. It will affect the balance of power and the social and operational fabrics of societies. It will change the balance of economical and technological power in the world with higher financial returns to the commercial stakeholders and the investors wherever they may be. Those countries/communities that identify clear goals first and initiate the incremental development will have a quantum technological and economical advantage that will be difficult to shake for at least a decade. Towards that goal the concepts of self-assembling, selfreconfiguring, self-adapting structural systems are reviewed and an investment strategy is proposed.