Lava tubes on the surface of planets such as the Moon and Mars are given priority for human scientific expedition bases and ecological maintenance areas. However, obstacles such as collapses inside lava tubes have brought great challenges to the unmanned exploration and construction of lava tubes. Modular self-reconfiguration robots are ideal for surmounting obstacles and manipulating objects in unpredictable unstructured environments due to their versatility and reusability. This paper briefly introduces the hardware development of modular self-reconfiguration robots, focusing on the software and hardware research on modular self-reconfiguration robots in three application scenarios: moving and obstacle surmounting inside lava tubes, sampling and operation, and auxiliary support. Finally, the paper puts forward development suggestions for the challenges faced by self-reconfiguration robots in the construction of extraterrestrial lava tube bases.