Swarms of robo-spiders building 3D-printed spacecraft in orbit could be closer than you think. Aerospace firms have penned a deal which will see them develop and test robots capable of manufacturing components in space. The first steps of the Nasa-backed venture will see a machine launched into orbit to test if it can print and assemble trusses - the wire frame scaffold for supporting solar panels, antennae, sensors and all other parts of a working spacecraft. But the ultimate sci-fi vision of the project is a fleet of robots capable of printing huge structures, essentially knitting them together by 3D-printing them. Aerospace firms have penned a deal which will see them develop and test robots capable of manufacturing components in space.