Turning asteroids into spaceships - RAMA by NASA

A California-based 3D printing company is going to get a funding of "100,000" Dollars from NASA through it's "Innovative Advanced Concepts programme" for project RAMA (Reconstituting Asteroids into Mechanical Automata). RAMA will find ways to turn asteroids into giant, autonomous spacecraft, which could fly to outposts in space, the media reported.

RAMA (Reconstituting Asteroids into Mechanical Automata) is a Made In Space's project that will help in making efficient and economically viable, off-Earth manufacturing.

The plan is to use 3D printing to turn the asteroids into self-flying vehicles by 2030. As part of this long term project, an advanced robotic "Seed Craft" is also planned to be send out to rendezvous with a succession of near-Earth asteroids in space. Harvested materials by the "Seed Craft" from space rocks will be used to construct propulsion, navigation, energy-storage and other key systems onsite with the aid of 3D printing and other technologies.