Robots that build rockets, on other worlds.
In 1948 a mathematician named John von Neumann showed that a machine could build a copy of itself. Put that idea on a spaceship and you get a robot probe that lands on a world, makes more probes from what it finds there, and sends them on to the next worlds. Today Elon Musk's rockets and robots and NASA's Moon and Mars plans are the first real steps toward it.
The three players
John von Neumann
The genius behind the modern computer, the atomic age and the self-copying machine.
Elon Musk
SpaceX's reusable rockets, the giant Starship, and humanoid robots, aimed at the Moon and Mars.
NASA
Sixty-eight years of science and know-how, a Moon base at the south pole, and helicopters to scout Mars.
How we get from here to there
Today: the Moon
Artemis II flew four astronauts around the Moon in April 2026. NASA is planning a base on the rim of Shackleton Crater, where there is sunlight for power and ice for water and fuel.
Next: Mars
Starship is built to fly to Mars and make its own fuel there. NASA's Skyfall mission, planned for 2028, will send helicopters to scout landing zones for astronauts.
Someday: everywhere
Robot factories that mine a world, build new probes and send them on. One becomes two, two become four, and in time they could reach the whole galaxy.
Explore the site
Landing spots
Shackleton Crater on the Moon, Arcadia Planitia on Mars, and the stepping stones beyond.
Timeline
From von Neumann's 1948 lectures to the next Mars window and Musk's 2100 goal.
Musk's plans
Starship V3, refueling in orbit, the self-growing Moon city and a million-person Mars city.
NASA's plans
Artemis landings, the Shackleton Moon base in three phases, and the Skyfall nuclear spacecraft.
Free tests
Four 10-question tests with explained answers and printable certificates.