Space platform

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Space Age expansion exclusive feature.

Space platform example provided by Wube in "Friday Facts #381 - Space Platforms"

Space platforms are factories that can be built in outer space. Each space platform is a self-contained factory supported by a space platform hub.

Purpose

Broadly speaking, there are three purposes which space platforms might serve:

• To perform recipes that can only be performed in space, such as when manufacturing space science packs.
• To transport players and items between planets.
• To collect and process asteroids.

Creation and deletion

Space platforms are created by loading a space platform starter pack into a rocket and pressing the button to create a new space platform. Alternatively, players may order the creation of a space platform from the remote view through the list on the top-left corner of the screen, in which case the necessary space platform starter pack is treated as a request from a not-yet-existing space platform around the specified planet. Either way, players are then allowed to name their new space platform. Note that space platforms can later be renamed from the menus of their space platform hubs.

Platforms can be deleted. After confirming that the platform is to be deleted, the deleted platform goes into a queue, which is located at the bottom of the platform list. Should the player regret their decision, then this gives several minutes to decide if they want to undo the removal of the platform before it is permanently deleted.

If the platform hub is destroyed, the entire space platform and all of its contents are lost. When this happens, the character will respawn at the last planet they were at before going to space.

Construction

Unlike planetary surfaces, space platforms can only be seen and edited by using the remote view. Therefore, players will order the construction of a space platform by placing ghosts. Instead of construction robots being used for constructing the space platform, the platform itself will automatically construct ghost entities and move ghost items to and from the platform hub as soon as materials are available and these actions are not obstructed. If the necessary materials are not available, they will be automatically requested from the planet at which the space platform is stationed.

A newly-created space platform consists of a 10x10 square of space platform foundation with a space platform hub in its center, all surrounded by empty space. Unlike most buildings, the space platform hub can not be removed, and its destruction directly results in the loss of the entire space platform.

As nothing can be built on empty space, the platform must first be expanded with more space platform foundation. The platform's foundation must consist of a single connected area with no detached islands, and holes of empty space surrounded by foundation are not allowed; Should these rules be broken, then the violating tiles will not be built or removed before the issue is resolved.

Asteroid collectors and thrusters can only be built on the edge of the platform. In particular, thrusters can only be built on the southern edge, and no foundation can be built within the rectangular area extending from the southern edge of the thruster towards infinity.

The entire platform surface functions as an electrical connection, so space platforms do not need any power poles.

Building restrictions

Some buildings can not be built on space platforms:

• Chests can't be built in space. The main storage device is the platform hub.
• Robots and roboports don't function in space, and no railway items can be built.
• Burner devices can't be built in space. According to FFF-381, this is to add "a bit of realism as there's no atmosphere in space".
• Advanced buildings that require certain surface conditions can't be built on the platform, such as the biochamber and biolabs. This is the same as for any other surface.

Electric poles can be built, but the global electric network covering the entire platform powers all devices. As such, electric poles are only useful as a way to wire together distant entities.

Transport between planets and space platforms

To transport players and items between a planet's surface and a space platform, the space platform must be stationed in orbit around the planet.

Items are delivered up to a platform by launching a rocket from a rocket silo. This can be done in one of three ways:

• Filling the rocket manually or using by inserters, then manually sending the rocket towards the space platform by using the rocket silo's menu. This method allows sending rockets with several different types of items inside the same rocket, but can not be automated.
• Assigning logistic requests to the space platform hub, then filling a rocket with items of a type that is being requested, either manually or using by inserters. The rocket will then launch automatically. Only one type of item may be sent per rocket using this method.
• Assigning logistic requests to the space platform hub while having a rocket silo set to request items from the logistic network. This allows logistic robots to fill the rocket automatically, and the rocket will launch automatically when full. Only one type of item will be sent per rocket.

The space platform hub will automatically request any items that are needed for construction of the platform. Automatic requests can receive items from any planet, whereas manual requests will only be fulfilled at one planet specified by the player. For manual requests, it is also possible to set a custom minimum payload per rocket instead of only accepting full rockets.

Items can be sent to a planet orbited by a space platform in one of two ways:

• Manually moving items into the platform hub's orbital drop slots.
• Assigning logistic requests to a planet's cargo landing pad.

The items will then be carried to the planet's surface by cargo pods. If the planet has a cargo landing pad, then the cargo pods will go there, placing their payloads directly inside the cargo landing pad's inventory (spilling the items if the cargo landing pad is already full). Otherwise, the cargo pod will land at a random location near the planet's spawn point. Landed cargo pods will wait for players to collect their payloads, and are automatically destroyed when emptied.

Unlike transfers from a planet's surface to a space platform, transfers from space platforms to planetary surfaces come at no material costs despite the appearance of a cargo pod.

Passengers

Player characters can travel to space platforms by riding a rocket, and can likewise leave the platform in a cargo pod.

One character traveling to a space platform takes up an entire rocket, and is not allowed to carry any items in their inventory, except for their equipped weapons and armor (but not ammunition). All other items must be transferred to the space platform hub in separate rockets.

Characters aboard space platforms are locked inside the space platform hub, unable to move. The player is therefore locked into remote view until they drop their character to a planetary surface. Note that there is no way to access a player's inventory while in this state.

Travel

Space platforms with one or more thrusters are able to perform voyages between different space locations, such as planets. The more thrusters that are installed on a platform, the faster the platform can get to its destination, but this also causes asteroids to appear faster and threaten the platform. When the thrusters are stopped while in mid-destination, the platform will slowly move toward the destination it's closer to via gravitational pull.

Weight

Platform weight depends on how many space platform foundation tiles the platform has. Each tile of space platform foundation weighs 200kg or 0.2 tons. The space platform hub itself weighs 20 tons. Notably, extra cargo bays do not increase the platform's weight (aside from requiring space platform foundation under them).

Asteroids

Main article: asteroids

Space platforms regularly encounter asteroids.

The smallest asteroids are called "chunks". Chunks can be collected by asteroid collectors and processed into various raw materials by crushers. Among other uses, it is possible to convert these materials into thruster fuel.

Asteroids larger than chunks may also appear. However, they can not be grabbed by asteroid collectors, and will damage the space platform upon impact. They can be targeted by turrets, and can be broken into multiple smaller asteroids by reducing their "health" to 0. This is done repeatedly until they become chunks.

During voyages, the number and relative velocity of asteroids increases proportionally to the platform's speed. It is therefore dangerous for a space platform to travel faster than it can destroy the asteroids that it will encounter. Different locations contain different amounts of each type of asteroid, and routes between locations may vary these numbers over the course of a journey. For example, only chunks will appear in stationary orbit around Nauvis, thus providing a safe building environment free of larger asteroids that may damage the platform.

Access to basic resources

• Water can be obtained from oxide asteroid chunks via oxide asteroid crushing and ice melting.
• Stone is not obtainable and must be brought up from planets.
• Iron ore can be obtained from metallic asteroid chunks via metallic asteroid crushing.
• Copper ore can be obtained from metallic asteroid chunks via advanced metallic asteroid crushing.
• Coal can be obtained from carbonic asteroid chunks via coal synthesis by using carbon and sulfur from advanced carbonic asteroid crushing.
• Crude oil is not obtainable. However:
  • Sulfur can be obtained via advanced carbonic asteroid crushing, which can be used to make explosives. This is useful for making rockets for rocket launchers.
  • Heavy oil can be obtained via Simple coal liquefaction using Calcite obtained from advanced oxide asteroid crushing.
    • Coal liquefaction is almost possible, but since burner devices do not work in space, the only way to heat water into steam is by using a heat exchanger powered by a nuclear reactor, which requires uranium products to be shipped up from Nauvis.
    • Arguably, this makes plastic bars and their derivatives (such as advanced circuits) some of the most difficult items to produce on a space platform that are not theoretically impossible.

History

• 2.0.14:
  • Deletion of space platforms requires confirmation.

• 2.0.7:
  • Introduced in Space Age expansion.