The Australian Space Architecture Challenge (ASAC) returns in 2025 for its second edition, following a successful debut last year that concluded with a showcase of winning designs at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan.
ASAC 2025 invites participants to envision the Habitat Zone of the Australian Lunar Village, planned for the elevated ridgeline of Malapert Massif near the Moon’s South Pole for a crew of 150.
ASAC 2025 places industry collaboration at its core. It serves as a dynamic innovation platform uniting Australia’s space sector with leaders in construction, manufacturing, material science, and sustainability to tackle real-world challenges in building for space and Earth.

Dr Amit Srivastava is Head (Lunar Architecture) at ATCSR (Andy Thomas Centre for Space Research) at The University of Adelaide. He told The Australia Today that this year’s challenge offers participants a unique opportunity to engage with industry partners.
“We’re collaborating with industry leaders across four cutting-edge construction technologies—regolith 3D printing, sintered regolith blocks, robotic regolith bagging, and recycled plastic 3D printing—to help imagine the future of human habitation in space. With the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) coming to Australia in September, we’ll showcase the challenge outcomes to a global audience through exhibitions and live demonstrations at the Space Architecture Symposium in Sydney.”

This year’s challenge aims to leverage Australia’s world-leading capabilities in additive manufacturing and robotic construction for in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) and waste recycling in lunar construction:
– Large-Scale Regolith 3D Printing by 3VIMA & LUYTEN – Large-scale gantry-based 3D printing represents a versatile construction approach that can utilize lunar regolith combined with specialized 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.
– Robotic Regolith Bagging by Crest Robotics & Earthbuilt Technology – 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 Utilization with minimal imported components.
– Modular Regolith Blocks by Astroport Space Technologies & FBR – Modular block-based construction systems leverage repeatable, interlocking elements to create scalable, robust structures. These systems utilize components such as bricks, pavers, or sintered blocks that can be produced through various methods, including thermal sintering, additive layering, or robotic placement.
– Plastic Waste Recycled 3D Printing by Arch_Manu [ARC Centre for Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing] – 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 maximized.
Entry is free, and participants can win over $6000 in cash prizes, gain access to industry mentors, engage in applied research, and contribute to sustainable solutions for both space exploration and life on Earth. Registrations close 30 June & submissions are due 15 August.
Speaking to The Australia Today Indian Australian entrepreneur Jai Ranganathan, who is the founder and CEO of 3VIMA, said that it has developed advanced 3D construction printing technology well-suited for Lunar applications.

“This technology enables both direct printing of complete structures and fabrication of discrete building blocks for modular assembly. Working with the Luyten Systems flagship PLATYPUS 3D Concrete Printer, which features a proprietary extruding mechanism, they can construct complex geometries up to 4 meters in height and 8 meters in width with unlimited length potential. The system’s robotically rotatable extruder nozzle includes a smoothing trowel for clean finishes, enabling precise layer binding and structural integrity.”
“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.”
Jai further mentioned that this is the beginning of a new era in research for 3VIMA, a proud Australian company, honoured to be partnering with University of Adelaide for ASAC 2025 and developing materials that are deployable on the Moon and Mars using their cutting-edge 3D printers.
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