Opportunity brief
Overview:
As humanity edges toward becoming a multi-planetary species, Space Manufacturing has emerged as a critical frontier, one that could redefine how we build, sustain, and expand civilization beyond Earth's gravity well. From in-orbit fabrication and 3D-printed satellite components to asteroid resource utilization and microgravity-enabled materials science, off-world manufacturing promises capabilities impossible to replicate on the ground. Yet this promise comes bundled with formidable challenges: the economics of launching and sustaining orbital factories, the engineering constraints of building in vacuum and microgravity, the logistics of supply chains spanning millions of kilometers, and the long-term viability of self-sustaining space-based industry. As the Aetherium Epoch calls us to look toward this next industrial revolution, this topic sits at the intersection of engineering, economics, policy, and ambition.
Submission Guidelines:
This is an online submission round. Teams are required to submit a well-structured digital document answering the specified case questions. Submissions will be evaluated on clarity, depth of analysis, logical structure, use of evidence, and relevance to the case.
Document Submission
- File Type: PowerPoint Presentation (.pptx)
- Deadline: 9th September 2026
Rules and Regulations:
- This is a team event open to college students only.
- Each team can have a maximum of 3 participants. Members of the team can be from different colleges.
- Teams qualifying the first round will be invited to IIT Kharagpur Campus for a presentation round, followed by a Q&A session.
- The top three teams will be awarded certificates of excellence.
- Teams invited for the offline round will receive a participation certificate.