Subscribe to download
Mole - A Fully mobile subterranean vehicle.

“Why dig straight, when you can fly underground?”

From Grabacr Industries, the Mole is a heavy-duty tunnelling machine built to carve through terrain with efficiency and power. Designed for flexibility, it excels at precise ore mining, large-scale excavation, underground base construction, and terrain shaping. Unlike static miners, the Mole can drive, climb, and manoeuvre while drilling — keeping its pilot safe and supplied with unmatched subterranean mobility.


Highlights.
• Any Depth, Any Resource - fully capable of mining any ore or ice no matter the depth.

• 12 Wheel Drive - Spreads the weight across six wheels each side, giving excellent traction and allowing for climbs even when fully loaded.

• Ore Hunting - integrated detector pinpoints deposits, letting you tunnel directly without strip-mining or hand drilling.

• Thruster Assist - atmospheric and hydrogen thrusters add forward power for steep ascents and surface returns.

• Hybrid Power System - hydrogen engines with a large battery backup, solar panels reduce hydrogen use above ground.

• Smart Safety Systems - automatic drill/thruster shutdown, overspeed braking, and low-fuel warnings keep the operators safe.

• Work-Ready Design - multiple floodlights for underground visibility, integrated compass for navigation, and a 121.5 kL cargo bay.

• Survivability - onboard O₂ generation keeps the crew alive during long underground operations.


Specs:
• Grid Type: Small Grid
• Dimensions: 25 blocks long × 15 wide × 12 tall (~20 × 12 × 10 m)
• Cargo Capacity: 36 Medium Containers (≈121.5 kL)
• Tunnelling Speed: ~15 m/minute
• Power: Hydrogen Engines + Batteries + Solar Panels
• Propulsion: 12-Wheel Drive, 4 Atmospheric Thrusters, 4 Hydrogen Thrusters


Operators Notes:
The Mole is designed to fly underground:
• Pitch up/down to change depth
• Steer with wheels to change heading
• Roll left/right to keep level

Thrusters should be engaged when extra forward power is needed, such as climbing to the surface.
Hydrogen thrusters in particular should be used sparingly to conserve fuel reserves.

The Mole’s safety systems handle most risks automatically, but operators should remain alert when fuel is low or when transitioning between underground and surface travel.


Stone Management & Balance:
• The drill head can be isolated from the main cargo with a sorter to prevent the cargo filling with stone.
• However, if drills are always isolated, weight collects at the front, making it difficult to maintain level orientation.
• Allowing some stone into the cargo bay (which fills back-to-front) improves weight distribution and stability.
• Excess stone can then be ejected from the rear ejectors once stability is achieved.


Quick Start:
1. Enable power and check hydrogen reserves.
2. Locate a drilling site, then pitch down using #3 Toolbar 1.
3. Activate the drill head (#1 Toolbar 1) and allow time for it to start carving a path.
4. Drive forward into the terrain, maintaining pitch with #3 & #4 Toolbar 1.
5. Stabilise roll using #5 & #6 Toolbar 1.
6. Once descending steadily, activate the Wheel Override (#8 Toolbar 2).
7. Monitor the artificial horizon for pitch/roll stability.
8. Steer with wheels and use the compass to keep your heading.
9. To surface: pitch up ~5° If fully loaded, engage thrusters if needed.


Toolbar Layout
Toolbar 1:
1. Drill Head On/Off
2. Camera Forward 1
3. Pitch Down
4. Pitch Up
5. Roll Left
6. Roll Right
7. Connector Switch Lock
8. Wheel Height Decrease
9. Wheel Height Increase
Toolbar 2:
1. Camera Forward 2
2. Camera Rear
3. Searchlight
4. Atmospheric Thrusters On/Off
5. Hydrogen Thrusters On/Off
6. None
7. None
8. Wheel Forward Override On
9. Wheel Forward Override Reset
Toolbar 3:
1. Antenna On/Off
2. Antenna Decrease Range
3. Antenna Increase Range
4. O2/H2 Generator On/Off
5. Ore Detector On/Off
6. Conveyor Sorter Drill Isolator
7. None
8. Stone Ejector Left Side On/Off
9. Stone Ejector Right Side On/Off


Closing
A thank you to Whiplash141 for Whip's Planetary Compass Script.

If you enjoy this design, check out my Workshop page for more creations — and stay tuned for future additions to the fleet.

Let me know if you use the Mole in your world, I'd love to know what you think.