[MoonGhost]

> Full self replication of a machine either from sand to silicon or through some yet to be developed process inspired by biology will be a fundamental change in how we do everything.

Not any time soon. This requires the whole economy to build the core parts like microprocessors. It's sure possible even on lifeless rocky planets but will require a lot of resources from Earth to begin with.

There is also a biological way. Here we can start with lobotomized and chipped monkeys. But on other planets this requires the whole ecosystem.