Artificial cave

Automated mine drilling

Drilling an artificial cave is a concept to create room for an artificial habitat. If no usable natural caves are found an artificial tunnel can be drilled into a rock mountain. The walls of the tunnel must be stabilized. For automated construction, the usage of segmented rings or arch segments can be considered, made from sintered regolith or concrete. Sprayed foam could also be used to stabilize the walls.

sectional view of a tunnel, used as a greenhouse

For example, a tunnel with a diameter of 5 meters is drilled. The stabilization reduces the diameter to 4 meters. Thermal insulation leads to another reduction to approx. 3 meters. With such a tunnel of 1 km length it should be possible to build an underground greenhouse to feed 10 people.

Though the drilling requires a high sophisticated digging machine this concept allows the creation of virtually unlimited room with best protection against radiation and meteorites. Once the drill is in place the process is continual and easy to be remote controlled and is, therefore, considered to be part of the unmanned setup of a whole settlement.