JUST IN: A satellite carrying four 3D printers is set to resume manufacturing directly in the vacuum of space, with the next tests attempting to build meter-scale structures from orbit. Orbital Matter’s Replicator 2 has completed its first extrusion in orbit and is including structures designed to deploy an antenna and unfold a solar array as they grow. The technology uses a liquid polymer extruded in space and hardened by UV light. Orbital Matter ultimately wants to manufacture 100-meter+ structures supporting 100-kW solar arrays, with a follow-on mission targeting 3-meter beams and a 1-kW array before the end of 2027. By around 2030, its roadmap extends to kilometer-scale solar arrays and radiators for massive infrastructure including orbital data centers and space stations. For decades, spacecraft have been constrained by what engineers can fold inside a rocket fairing. The Orbital Matter concept aims to launch the machine that builds space infrastructure directly in space.