"Zero Mass Space Exploration: Building Robots for the Future"
Scientists at NASA Ames Research Center and Stanford University are exploring the concept of "zero mass exploration" for space missions by using self-replicating machines, reprogrammable metamaterials, and prefabricated "voxels" as building blocks. These voxels, made with a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, can be autonomously assembled by robots to create strong truss structures that are incredibly light. This technology could potentially revolutionize space exploration by significantly reducing the weight and cost of sending supplies and gear to other planets.