Factorio Space Exploration Mod Guide: Worlds, Science, Travel, and Installation

The Space Exploration mod turns Factorio's rocket launch from an ending into an opening act. After leaving the main planet, players can keep expanding across new worlds, systems, space stations, and long production chains that politely ask for another 100 hours of attention.

What Is the Space Exploration Mod?

Space Exploration is a major overhaul mod for Factorio. Vanilla Factorio focuses on building a rocket and escaping Nauvis. This mod extends the experience with over 100+ hours of additional content, including new planets, galactic systems, structures, resources, and logistics tools. The result is a much larger campaign where leaving the starter planet is only the beginning of production, research, and transport planning.

The mod's developer, Earendel, notes that Space Exploration won't work with many other Factorio mods. Players may need to remove conflicting modpacks before using it.

New Worlds

Vanilla Factorio is centered on Nauvis. With Space Exploration installed, players can visit more than 600 space locations, including planets, moons, and asteroid fields. Each location can have different resources, visuals, and hazards.

Satellite Mode

The Navigation Satellite Uplink unlocks Satellite Mode. This view lets players inspect the current planet from orbit, make data changes, use blueprints, copy and paste layouts, and manage planning from a wider perspective.

Resources and Structures

Space Exploration adds several resources. Methane can be converted into hydrocarbons, creating another route for oil products. Other notable resources include:

• Cryonite: Used for cooling, supercomputing, and refining certain materials
• Vulcanite: Used as an additive or fuel
• Beryllium: Used for spaceships, astronomic science, lightweight construction, and logistics
• Holmium: Used for shields, energy science, and energy systems
• Iridium: Used for heavy industry, military science, and other military purposes
• Vitamelange: Used in bio-science
• Naquium: Used for deep space science and some endgame structures

Claiming a planet allows access to a Core Miner, which provides unlimited resources from that region. Only one Core Miner runs at full efficiency per planet. Extra Core Miners work with diminishing returns.

Additional space structures include:

• Decontamination Facility
• Mechanical Facility
• Space Manufactory
• Telescope
• X-ray Telescope
• Radio Telescope
• Astrometrics Facility
• Electromagnetics Facility
• Laser Facility
• Particle Collider
• Genetics Facility
• Biochemical Facility
• Zero-G Growth Facility
• And more

Players can also build Space Stations on new space platforms, creating large orbital infrastructure for production and survival. These stations become hubs for specialized manufacturing and research, especially once multiple planets and asteroid fields start feeding different materials into the same network.

New Science Packs

Space Exploration adds new science types, including Deep Space, Astronomic, and Biological science packs. Each specialized pack requires its own equipment and resources, so research becomes a multi-location logistics challenge.

Spacesuit and Life Support

The new spacesuit includes a thruster and magnetic boots. These tools help movement in zero gravity and keep the character from drifting away from platforms. The life support system needs life support canisters, so forgetting supplies can make space travel brief and educational.

Cargo Rockets and Delivery Cannons

Cargo Rockets move resources from planets or asteroids to a space station. Launches can be automated, making them important for interplanetary logistics.

The Delivery Cannon is another transport option. It can send basic resources to most places within the solar system, but it needs a special landing pad. Without one, the landing can spill or destroy the contents.

Space Travel and Other Features

Players can build a custom spaceship block by block, then use control systems, docking, automation, and other systems to fly between locations. A ship can function like a mobile station, carrying materials and infrastructure between distant zones while supporting long-distance expansion.

Other features include:

• Energy beams for powering spaceships or low-solar planets
• Coronal Mass Ejections, or CMEs, that can destroy structures
• Universe Explorer tools to sort, filter, search, and prioritize zones
• New beacon mechanics with extra module slots
• Shield Projectors for stronger defenses
• New weapons, including the Tesla Gun, Bio Gun, and Plague Rocket
• Respawning on Nauvis or another valid location instead of reaching a game over

Space Exploration vs. Space Age

Space Exploration and the Space Age expansion both continue Factorio after the rocket launch. Both add new science, resources, and technologies.

The differences matter. Space Exploration does not include Space Age's revamped tech tree, while Space Age lacks mod-specific features such as Satellite Mode and Cargo Rockets. Players interested in both should treat them as separate experiences rather than assuming one fully replaces the other.

How to Install Space Exploration

To install the Space Exploration mod:

1. Turn off Factorio if it is running.
2. Download the Space Exploration mod here.
3. Open Windows Explorer with WIN + E and go to the game's installation directory.
4. Open the Mods folder and extract the mod files there.
5. Launch Factorio, open the Mods page, and confirm Space Exploration appears.

For more details, check the official Wiki and Discord channel here and here.