Information for Participants

Welcome to the Australian Space Architecture Challenge (ASAC) 2025.

We encourage you to join our Discord Community, where you can connect with fellow participants, build teams, share ideas, and collaborate in various ways. Think of it as your virtual mission control for the competition.

Theme

This year’s challenge is titled “Built on the Moon”. Through ASAC 2025, we want to explore how we can leverage Australian capacities in Additive Manufacturing and Robotic Construction for In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) and Waste Recycling. This aligns with the International Astronautical Congress 2025’s theme of ‘Sustainable Space: Resilient Earth’, which is being held in Sydney. The core design imperatives are:

• In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU): Building with regolith and local materials to reduce Earth dependence 
• Additive Manufacturing: Using automated, layer-based construction as the primary fabrication method 
• Waste Recycling: Developing closed-loop material flows by repurposing packaging, regolith byproducts, and mission waste into functional building components 

This year’s challenge aims to leverage and showcase Australia’s emerging capabilities in robotics, architectural manufacturing, and advanced materials; positioning participants to explore not only how to build on the Moon, but how these approaches can inform future-ready, low-waste construction here on Earth.

We extend an invitation to rethink how we construct, inhabit, and sustain life beyond Earth. ASAC 2025 positions the Moon not just as a destination, but as a testbed for radically new ways of building, grounded in Australian strengths in additive manufacturing, robotics, and sustainable systems.

Potential Design Technologies

Participants are encouraged to explore and combine innovative technologies aligned with the core themes of ASAC 2025. The following approaches represent a snapshot of current Australian capabilities and pioneering methods relevant to lunar construction - and adaptable for use in terrestrial industries.

Key technologies and approaches to consider include:

• Robotic Earth (Regolith) Bagging Construction (CREST Robotics & EarthBuilt)

Earth bagging construction transforms local particulate materials into durable structures without requiring traditional binding agents. This approach packs loose materials into tubular forms and compresses them to create structural layers, enabling true In-Situ Resource Utilisation with minimal imported components. In the lunar context, this technology could utilise dry lunar regolith and other solid waste materials as primary building media. The system might be adapted to create foundations, walls, radiation shields, and other structural elements while functioning within lunar gravity and vacuum conditions. Its real-time construction data capabilities could integrate with habitat monitoring systems, creating a comprehensive approach to lunar settlement development and long-term expansion.

• Large-Scale Gantry-Based Regolith 3D Printing (3VIMA & Luyten Systems)

Large-scale gantry-based 3D printing represents a versatile construction approach that can utilise lunar regolith combined with specialised binders to create concrete-like building materials. This technology enables both direct printing of complete structures and fabrication of discrete building blocks for modular assembly. For lunar habitation, this technology could be adapted to create habitat shells with complex geometries optimised for radiation protection and thermal management, or alternatively, produce standardised building blocks for modular construction. The binding agents might be modified to utilise lunar resources, while the gantry system could be redesigned for deployment and operation in the challenging lunar environment. The technology's versatility makes it particularly valuable for creating diverse structural elements from common landing pads to complex habitation shells.

• Plastic Waste Recycled 3D Printing (ARCH_MANU)

Plastic waste 3D printing technology repurposes materials that would otherwise be discarded, transforming them into functional architectural elements. This approach creates a closed-loop material system ideal for resource-constrained environments where every kilogram of imported material must be maximised. In the lunar context, this technology offers an elegant solution for managing waste from logistics operations while addressing critical habitat requirements. Plastic packaging waste from Earth-to-Moon supply chains could be processed into building components for internal partitions, furniture, specialised equipment housings, and secondary structure elements. The resulting components would offer excellent thermal insulation, helping manage the extreme temperature variations in lunar habitats while creating customised living and working environments for inhabitants.

• Modular Block-Based Construction Systems (Astroport Space Technologies, FBR)

Modular block-based construction systems leverage repeatable, interlocking elements to create scalable, robust structures. These systems utilise components such as bricks, pavers, or sintered blocks that can be produced through various methods, including thermal sintering, additive layering, or robotic placement. Their modular nature simplifies assembly, enhances repairability, and allows for flexible spatial configurations—qualities especially valuable in resource-limited settings like the lunar surface. For lunar habitation applications, modular block systems offer exceptional structural integrity, radiation protection, and thermal regulation. Interlocking or mortared blocks can create pressurisable structures, protective barriers, and infrastructure elements without requiring large-scale monolithic printing. The precision placement capabilities demonstrated by these technologies could enable the creation of complex architectural features and load-bearing structures critical for long-term lunar settlement.

Optional explorations

Participants may explore one or more of the following areas for additional credit:

• Human-Robot Collaboration: Design interfaces or workflows for shared tasks during construction and/or operation of the lunar village.
• Repair and Maintenance: Infrastructure designed for easy disassembly and repairability
• Impacts of Isolation: Addressing psychological health and social cohesion in isolation
• Medical and Emergency Protocols: Built-in provisions for health and crisis response

Design brief

It’s the year 2055.

Humanity’s relationship with the Moon has transformed dramatically. Once a distant celestial body visited only by pioneering astronauts, it is now a cornerstone of human activity in space. Lunar missions have laid the groundwork for permanent infrastructure: scientific research stations, autonomous mining hubs, and orbital gateways supporting the broader Moon to Mars initiative. Lunar settlements are no longer speculative. They are strategic, sustainable, and evolving fast.

At the heart of this transformation lies the Australian Lunar Village, located in the geologically and strategically significant Malapert Massif near the Moon’s South Pole. This region with near-continuous solar illumination, serves as an important backdrop for the next generation of lunar architecture. Here, Australia contributes not just technology, but a vision for building in extreme environments using local materials, minimal waste, and intelligent automation.

The design challenge for ASAC 2025 invites participants to envision and develop the Central Operations and Habitat Zone of the Australian Lunar Village, a permanent lunar settlement planned for the elevated ridgeline of Malapert Massif near the Moon’s South Pole. This zone will form the nucleus of the village, serving as the hub for daily life, strategic coordination, scientific activity, and long-term operational support for a crew of 150.

Site

The site for ASAC 2025 is the Malapert Massif, a towering lunar mountain located near the Moon’s south pole at approximately 86°S latitude. Rising over 5,000 meters above the surrounding terrain, this massif is believed to be a remnant of an impact structure.

Located close to permanently shadowed craters, Malapert offers potential access to water ice and volatile deposits, critical for in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU), life support, and propellant production. It is also of strong scientific interest for studying the Moon’s deep crustal material and geological history.

By placing the Australian Lunar Village’s Habitation Zone in this location, ASAC 2025 challenges participants to design architecture that leverages the massif’s unique environmental conditions while navigating its extreme terrain, radiation exposure, thermal swings, and logistical isolation.

Figure 2. (Left) The South Polar region of the Moon with the candidates for Artemis 3 highlighted in the green boxes. The red box marks the Malapert Massif site. (Right) A closer look at the Malapert Massif site marked in green. The Red box here marks the particular site of interest for ASAC. Credit: ACT & Lunar LROC Quickmap.

Figure 3: NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this view on March 3, 2023. Malapert Massif, a lunar mountain and Artemis 3 candidate landing region, is shown at lower left. The mountain's highest point looms more than 16,400 feet (5000 meters) above its base. Credit: NASA / GSFC / Arizona State University.

Jury Members

The entries will be assessed by a panel of experts associated with the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources (ATCSR).

2025 key dates