On the Security research tab, you can research a ship called the Ruiner, from which you can deploy mines.  It's pretty high up-tier 5, I think.

Also on the same tab, you can research the starbase construction tech, given to Jarun Migrators(the colony frig).  Build a colony frig and then use the deploy button on the interface(next to the "colonize" button) to deploy the base where you choose.  This is tier 3.

Don't forget that mousing over the research icons gives you a description of what that research does....shouldn't be too hard to find the right ones.