Advances in robotics and additive manufacturing have become game-changing forthe prospects of space industry. It has become feasible to bootstrap aself-sustaining, self-expanding industry at reasonably low cost. Simplemodeling was developed to identify the main parameters of successfulbootstrapping. This indicates that bootstrapping can be achieved with as littleas 12 metric tons (MT) landed on the Moon during a period of about 20 years.The equipment will be teleoperated and then transitioned to full autonomy sothe industry can spread to the asteroid belt and beyond. The strategy beginswith a sub-replicating system and evolves it toward full self-sustainability(full closure) via an in situ technology spiral. The industry growsexponentially due to the free real estate, energy, and material resources ofspace. The mass of industrial assets at the end of bootstrapping will be 156 MTwith 60 humanoid robots, or as high as 40,000 MT with as many as 100,000humanoid robots if faster manufacturing is supported by launching a total of 41MT to the Moon. Within another few decades with no further investment, it canhave millions of times the industrial capacity of the United States. Modelingover wide parameter ranges indicates this is reasonable, but further analysisis needed. This industry promises to revolutionize the human condition.
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