Space Elevator

A late-game alternative to rockets for transferring items, fluids, and players between planets and space platforms.

What is this mod?

Space Elevator adds a new mega-structure to Factorio 2.0 / Space Age: a planetary space elevator that connects your surface base directly to orbiting space platforms. Once constructed, it provides fast, energy-efficient transfers without the constant rocket part consumption of traditional silos.

Key Features:
- Bidirectional item transfer - Upload and download items between surface and platform
- Fluid transfer - Move fluids without barreling (direct pipe-to-pipe)
- Player transport - Fast travel between surface and orbit (3 seconds)
- Configurable transfer rates - Choose your throughput (10 to 250 items per cycle)
- Visual feedback - Colored beams indicate active transfers

How It Works

1. Research & Build

Research Space Elevator technology (requires Cryogenic Science Pack - you'll need to have visited all 4 planets).

Place the Space Elevator Construction Kit on any planet surface to begin construction.

2. Multi-Stage Construction

The elevator requires 5 construction stages, each needing materials from across the galaxy:

Stage	Name	Key Materials
1	Site Preparation	Stone, Concrete, Steel
2	Foundation	Refined Concrete, Gears, Pipes
3	Tower Assembly	Processing Units, LDS, Tungsten, Superconductors, Bioflux
4	Tether Deployment	LDS, Accumulators, Rocket Fuel
5	Activation	Processing Units, Superconductors, Rocket Fuel

Insert materials into the elevator's inventory and click Begin Construction for each stage.

3. Platform Docking

Build a Space Elevator Dock on your space platform while it orbits the planet. Open the elevator GUI on the surface and connect via the Docking tab.

Single platform? Auto-connects!
Multiple platforms? Choose from a dropdown.

4. Transfer Items & Fluids

Use the Transfer tab to move cargo:

Select your transfer rate (10, 25, 50, 100, or 250 items per cycle)
Click Upload/Download for manual transfers
Enable Auto-Upload/Download for continuous operation
Higher rates = wider beams = more energy consumption

Fluid Transfer:
- Surface: Connect pipes to the fluid tank (6 tiles north of elevator)
- Platform: Place a Dock Fluid Tank within 5 tiles of the dock

5. Player Travel

Use the Travel tab to teleport between surface and platform. 3-second travel time, no special equipment needed! (but hold your breath). If you want to get back down to the planet, just hit "enter" on or around the hub on the platform, then drop to the planet like normal.

Balance

Aspect	Value
Base Power Draw	10 MW constant
Transfer Energy	10 kJ per item
Rocket Parts	1 per launch (vs 100 for standard silo)
Tech Requirement	Cryogenic Science Pack
Construction	Materials from all 4 planets

Transfer Rate Energy Costs

Rate	Energy/Cycle	Throughput
10 items	100 kJ	20 items/sec
25 items	250 kJ	50 items/sec
50 items	500 kJ	100 items/sec
100 items	1 MJ	200 items/sec
250 items	2.5 MJ	500 items/sec

Customisation Options

The mod includes several settings to tailor the experience to your playstyle. Access these via Settings > Mod Settings.

Startup Settings (require restart)

Setting	Default	Range	Description
Power Consumption	10 MW	1-100	Base power draw when operational
Rocket Parts Required	1	1-100	Parts needed per launch (vanilla silo uses 100) (may not be fully implemented, we skipped rockets and just use lasers to beam items and fluids up and down
Fluid Tank Capacity	25,000	1k-100k	Capacity of elevator and dock fluid tanks
Construction Time Multiplier	1.0x	0.1-10x	Speed up (0.5) or slow down (2.0) construction
Material Cost Multiplier	1.0x	0.1-10x	Reduce (0.5) or increase (2.0) material requirements

Runtime Settings (change anytime)

Setting	Default	Range	Description
Manual Item Transfer	10	1-1000	Items per manual upload/download click
Auto Transfer Rate	10	1-1000	Default rate for new auto-transfers
Manual Fluid Transfer	1,000	100-10k	Fluid per manual transfer click
Travel Time	3 sec	1-30	Player transport duration

Debug Mode: Skip Construction

Want to test the mod's features without waiting through construction? Or just want to have some fun?

Go to Settings > Mod Settings > Map
Enable "Show Debug Button"
Open any space elevator's GUI
Click the red [DEBUG] Complete Construction button in the Construction tab

This instantly completes all 5 construction stages, making the elevator fully operational. Great for testing, exploring features, or if you just want to skip straight to the space logistics!

Requirements

Factorio 2.0 or later
Space Age DLC
Entity GUI Library (required dependency)

Early Access Notice

This mod is a proof of concept and is still in active development.

What this means:

Bugs may occur - Please report any issues you encounter
Balance is not final - Costs and rates may change based on feedback
Features may change - The API and behavior could evolve
Placeholder graphics - Currently uses base game assets (rocket silo, storage tank, steel chest)

Dependencies

This mod relies heavily on Entity GUI Library for its custom GUI system. Both mods are developed together and may have interdependent updates.

Visual Effects

The transfer beam effects (colored lines showing item/fluid movement) are functional but not final:

Blue beam = Item upload
Orange beam = Item download
Cyan beam = Fluid upload
Dark orange beam = Fluid download
Beam width scales with transfer rate

Artists Wanted! If you're interested in contributing custom sprites, animations, or visual effects for the space elevator, I'd love to hear from you! The mod currently uses placeholder graphics and would benefit greatly from dedicated artwork.

Feedback & Bug Reports

Feedback is very welcome! This is an early release and community input helps shape development.

Please report:
- Bugs and crashes
- Balance concerns
- Feature suggestions
- Compatibility issues with other mods

Known Issues

Fluid tank position changed in v0.2.1 - older elevators need rebuilding for fluid access
No placement limits yet - multiple elevators can be built per planet
Uses placeholder graphics throughout
May have unexpected interactions with other mods

Space Elevator (BETA)