Self-repairing spacecraft
The modern space technology makes it possible to create space stations or spacecraft, which can replace themselves automatically. The system is basing the idea that layers of the spacecraft are full of sensors. The mission of those sensors is to meter the place where some particles hit. And the force of the hit. When we are thinking that the spacecraft has a two-layer structure, that thing can be made possible to make the structure, which can detect the dangerous impacts.
The outer and inner layers could equip with the sensors, which detects the impact waves. The system is a series of extreme small seismometers, which mission is to detect the force of impact, and the place, where the particle is impacted. Between the layers could also be the light cables, what mission is to warn if the micrometeorite is piecing the outer armor. This means that if the light cable is cut, the meteorite is passing the armor.
The detection system might involve things like RFID-sensors, what is hovering in the air, and if those microchips would travel to a certain point, that means there is the hole. In those cases, artificial intelligence can call the robots, what have 3D printers in use, and those robots can fix the damage automatically. The spacecraft can have assistant robots around it, what mission is to find the anomalies in the outer layer and fixing the problem.
Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylab
The Von Neumann (and Phoenix) machine
The "Von Neumann" machine is the robot, that can make copies of itself. The idea of this kind of system is that the "Von Neumann" machine is like the living cell, but the system is controlled by artificial intelligence. The system is a robot factory, which sends the sub-robots to search the raw material, and then it can use it's automatic manufacturing systems for creating new sub-robots or even new copies of itself.
So that kind of spacecraft can be acting as the "Phoenix device". In some theories, the phoenix-bird is the machine, which would create a new copy of itself, when the structure is getting old. The system can use its assistant robots to make the new microchips and body for itself, and then it can transfer it's computer programs to the new device. The thing is that this kind of machine can reborn again and again. The name "Phoenix" itself is taken from Greek Mythology. The device would use the zero-point energy system, which means the Casimir-plates, or the nanotubes, which are using the Casimir-effect for creating energy.
There is a possibility to make the system, which would stand a longer time than a nuclear reactor, but that requires that the electrons that are sent to the electric circuit must return to the same atoms, where they are leaving. So the Casimir effect could theoretically be the possible answer to the question, how the atoms, what realizes the electrons would get the electrons back from the atoms what are receiving electrons.
So could this kind of system realistic? Nuclear energy in space is an extremely difficult question in politics. There is always a possibility, that the accident releases highly radioactive material to nature, and the nuclear reactor can operate only a couple of years. If we want to create the battery, what stands thousands or even millions of years, we cannot trust nuclear power. Lack of power source is one of the reasons, why we are not creating interstellar spacecraft yet.
Casimir effect:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect
Phoenix (Greek mythology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(mythology)
Von Neumann-machine:
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