Space architecture for a resilient Earth: Hassell headlines at IAC 2025 Space Week

Building on the Moon teaches us to tackle climate change on Earth. We’re showcasing how at IAC 2025 Space Week and Sydney Science Festival.

Designing for a future on the Moon might seem like science fiction. But the challenges of building in space - such as creating resilient, self-sustaining habitats - provide invaluable lessons for tackling our most pressing problems here on Earth, including a rapidly changing climate. This September, Hassell is showcasing its groundbreaking work in this field through two major events in Sydney.

HASSELL’S LUNAR HABITAT MASTER PLAN AT THE IAC SYDNEY

Hassell Principal Xavier de Kestelier will be a prominent figure at the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney. As the world’s largest annual space gathering, the IAC provides a platform to showcase forward-thinking space projects, including Hassell’s Lunar Habitat Master Plan, designed in collaboration with the European Space Agency.

Xavier will also be speaking at the public event Moon Futures, as part of the IAC 2025 Space Week, supported by Investment NSW. Under the theme Sustainable Space: Resilient Earth, he will join a panel of visionary space leaders, including Aarti Holla-Maini (UN Office for Outer Space Affairs) and Dr Dava Newman (MIT Media Lab, formerly NASA Deputy Administrator), to discuss how exploring and designing for the Moon and Mars can teach us how to build for extreme environments on our own planet. The panel, moderated by ABC journalist Rae Johnston, will explore developments in lunar architecture and the ethical implications of human activity in space.

PLAY A LUNAR MISSION IN FORNITE AT THE SYDNEY SCIENCE FESTIVAL 

For a more hands-on experience, members of the public can head to the Powerhouse Museum’s Sydney Science Festival to play a custom Fortnite mission. Developed in a collaboration between Hassell, the European Space Agency and Epic Games, the game titled Lunar Horizons, challenges players to gather resources and construct a Hassell-designed lunar habitat using 3D-printed moon dust.

This immersive experience brings the design challenges of space exploration to a new audience, demonstrating how lessons in circular economies and resourcefulness - essential for survival in space - can be applied to building more sustainable and resilient structures on Earth. The Lunar Horizons game is available to play at the Parramatta Town Hall during the festival.

By engaging with both the professional and public spheres, Hassell is highlighting the significant and practical link between space architecture and the future of design on Earth.

Where to hear Hassell’s Xavier de Kestelier during IAC 2025 Space Week and Sydney Science Festival:

• Moon Futures panel discussion is a free event taking place Friday, October 3, 12noon -1.30pm at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Pyrmont Theatre, Level 2, Sydney. 
• Space Architecture: Habitats, Habitability, and Bases research paper presentation is for registered IAC guests only. Monday, September 29, 3.30pm in Room C2.2 at the ICC, Sydney.
• Lunar Horizons Fortnite game is a free event taking place as part of the Powerhouse Museum’s Sydney Science Festival, Saturday, October 4, 10am-3pm at Parramatta Town Hall, 5 Parramatta Square, Sydney.

Image, above, by Imi​go​.It