Space Platform Guide

• Factorio

1 min

2020-01-01

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Space Platforms Serve as the inter planetary logistics network. While it is possible to "park" a space platform in orbit around planets to produce materials - this is generally not needed if your haulers are properly designed

What we need from Space

Space supplies us with the following:

• Calcite - so we can use foundries everywhere
• Space Science Packs
• Quantum Processors - both Common and Legendary
• LDS, Steel and Blue Circuits delivered to Aquilo (to make Rockets and Barrels)
• Logistics between Planets
• Optionally: Legendary Iron and Legendary Coal (so we can make Legendary Plastic at scale)

Routes

I prefer to use a circular route and have haulers visit all planets. In this order:

• Nauvis
• Fulgora
• Aquilo
• Gleba
• Vulcanus

While this does mean that Gleba science spoils a bit more - it greatly simplifies logistics in space. Adding more total SPM throughput is a simply matter of copying an existing hauler.

Wait Conditions

We canimprove total throughput of the space logistics network by using a very simple wait condition: "2 seconds of inactivity". That's it!

This works when you make sure that every planet has dedicated rocket silos preloaded with the items that planet exports. If a rocket is ready to launch and hauler needs the content of that rocket - the hauler will wait for the rocket to arrive.

If an item the hauler needs is NOT available in a preloaded rocket silo - the hauler will continue its journey. This makes it easy to diagnose which rocket silos are not being loaded fast enough: It's the ones that deliver items which isn't available on all haulers.

SPM Throughput

It takes a hauler X (TODO) seconds visit all planets. As the hauler enters orbit - it will request a number (N) of science packs that are exported by that planet. If we assume that N science packs are already preloaded in rocket silos - the hauler will wait W seconds for those rockets to arrive - then leave immediately after.

This gives us a total SPM throughput per hauler of:

SPM Hauler = N / (X + W * 4) / 60

You can improve throughput either by building more haulers or by increasing N. The hauler blueprint below allows you to use value sof N up to 64

The Blueprints

As I am going to assume you use my Hauler design - you only need a hauler and a Promethium Science ship.

Hauler Mk1

This simple hauler can travel between the inner planets. It makes space science on board and is powered purely from Solar

TODO

Hauler Mk2

You can make these once you have a steady supply of Uranium Fuel Cell. The ship uses steam power and it can visit Aquilo (but not linger too long in orbit)

TODO

Hauler Mk9 - Space Science and everything else (Prototype)

Blueprint

The ultimate Hauler! Needs access to Fusion Power and Legendary space items.

This big baby is 11 engines wide and flies at 850 km/s. It has ~130 cargo bays for some serious science hauling.

It can also linger in orbit around all the planets.

Furthermore, it:

• Collects Calcite while travelling between planets
• Has a circuit logic space casino creating Legendary Iron and Coal
• Makes Space Science Packs (~120 bottles/sec)
• Makes Quantum Processors (both Common and Legendary). This saves you from having to handle this on Aquilo.
• Makes Blue Circuits, LDS and Steel which is exactly the resources you need on Aquilo when you get it into steady state
• Makes Foundations since they need resources from most planets
• Has a nice little clock showing you how long it takes to return to Nauvis

I typically test my haulers by having them run several nights in a row. This one has survived for a solid week without any issues

Promethium Science

TODO