Self-replicating probes are spacecraft with the capacity to create copies of themselves. Self-replication would potentially allow for an exponential increase in the number of probes and thereby drastically improve the efficiency of space exploration. Despite this potential, an integrated assessment of self-replicating space probes has not been presented since the 1980s, and it is still unclear how far they are feasible. In this paper, we propose a concept for a partially self-replicating probe for space exploration based on current and near-term technologies, with a focus on small spacecraft. The purpose is to chart a path towards self-replication with near-term benefits, rather than attempting full self-replication. For this reason, components such as microchips and other microelectronic components are brought with the initial probe and are not replicated. We estimate that such a probe would be capable of replicating 70% of its mass. To further increase this percentage, we identify technology gaps that are promising to address. We conclude that small-scale, partially self-replicating probes are feasible near-term. Their benefits would play out in exploration missions requiring roughly more than a dozen of probes.

自复制探针是具有自身复制能力的航天器。自我复制将潜在地允许探针数量的指数增加，从而极大地提高太空探索的效率。尽管有这种潜力，自1980年代以来就没有提出过对自我复制型太空探测器的综合评估，目前尚不清楚它们在多大程度上可行。在本文中，我们提出了一种基于当前和近期技术（主要针对小型航天器）的用于太空探索的部分自我复制探测器的概念。目的是画出一条具有近期利益的自我复制之路，而不是尝试完全自我复制。为此原因，诸如微芯片和其他微电子组件之类的组件随初始探针一起带入且不可复制。我们估计这种探针将能够复制其质量的70％。为了进一步提高这一百分比，我们确定了有望解决的技术差距。我们得出的结论是，近期进行小规模，部分自我复制的探针是可行的。它们的好处将在需要进行大约十多次探查的勘探任务中发挥出来。