Lunar Subterra: a Self-Integrative Unit with an Automated Drilling System

As humans venture deeper into space, the need for a lunar settlement, housing the first group of settlers, grows steadily. By means of new technologies such as in situ resource utilisation (ISRU) as well as computational design, this goal can be implemented in present years. Providing the first arrivals with an immediate underground habitat safe from radiation and other environmental constraints is of crucial importance to initialise a prolonged mission on the Moon. The project's proposal revolves around the idea of establishing a base which provides an immediately habitable space with the possibility for future expansion. Advanced construction methods and sustainable practices lay the groundwork for a permanent human presence, predominantly based on ISRU. This paper outlines a two-phase initiative aimed at the foundation of the Lunar Subterra, followed by an extension of the habitat above ground. Following our collaboration with the PoliSpace Sparc Student Association group, a Virtual Reality (VR) reproduction of the proposed habitat enabled quick iterative testing of the habitable space with the use of a Meta Quest 2 headset. This not only allowed an evaluation of the environment and its impact on human residents but also eradicated the need for tangible models to conceptualise the idea, enabling rapid user-centred design and implementation in the future of space exploration.