Factorio: Space Age — progression task list

FACTORIO: SPACE AGE — PROGRESSION TASK LIST A step-by-step checklist from a fresh Space Age save all the way to the victory screen. Tick items off as you go. Goal: reach the Solar System Edge (final Space Age win condition) by progressing through four new planets and unlocking all science packs.

Source: Factorio Wiki (wiki.factorio.com), supercraft.host, Factorio forums. Compiled 2026-06-12 by Magius for Justin.

PHASE 0 — PRE-SPACE AGE (Nauvis, your home planet)

Goal: reach the rocket silo and launch your first rocket to unlock space.

• [ ] Bootstrap: red/green/blue science automation
• [ ] Oil processing & plastic/sulfuric acid production
• [ ] Purple (utility) science: robotics, logistics, military
• [ ] Yellow (space) science pack: rocket control units, low density structures, rocket fuel
• [ ] Build and launch one rocket to unlock the space platform tech tree
• [ ] Optional but recommended: nuclear or large-scale solar power — you'll need a lot of it

PHASE 1 — SPACE PLATFORMS (the backbone of everything)

Space platforms are flying factories that move between planets. You'll use them for the rest of the game.

• [ ] Research Space platform starter pack
• [ ] Build your first platform: hub + basic thrusters + asteroid defense
• [ ] Add asteroid collection (crush chunks into thruster fuel + ammo)
• [ ] Add cargo bays to shuttle materials between planets
• [ ] Build a second platform dedicated to space science (the space science pack can only be crafted in space)

PHASE 2 — VULCANUS (recommended first planet)

Hot volcanic planet. Easiest of the four — good introduction to interplanetary logistics.

• [ ] Launch a platform to Vulcanus
• [ ] Big mining drills + foundries (cast lava into molten iron/copper)
• [ ] Tungsten processing (unbreakable, used for advanced drills)
• [ ] Unlock metallurgic science (Space Age science pack #1)
• [ ] Smelt: steel -> tungsten plates -> big mining drill productivity

PHASE 3 — FULGORA (recommended second planet)

Desert planet, no solar worth using (80% reduction). Lightning storms at night. Endless scrap piles from a forgotten civilization.

• [ ] Launch a platform to Fulgora
• [ ] Lightning rods + accumulators (your main power source — storms fuel you)
• [ ] Recyclers: turn scrap into usable components (75% efficiency, 25% loss)
• [ ] Build train network across the oil lakes to feed recyclers
• [ ] Electromagnetic plant (advanced circuits)
• [ ] Unlock electromagnetic science (Space Age science pack #2) — pink
• [ ] Unlock holmium (superconductors for advanced power)
• [ ] Unlock tesla weapons (turret + rifle) for later defense

PHASE 4 — GLEBA (recommended third planet — HARDEST)

Tropical swamp. Everything you produce eventually rots into spoilage. Factory death spirals are common.

• [ ] Launch a platform to Gleba
• [ ] Agriculture towers for exotic plants (learn the spoilage timer per fruit)
• [ ] Biochamber processing — cook/press/ferment before things rot
• [ ] Quality modules level 4-5 unlock here (used for vertical growth late game)
• [ ] Unlock agricultural science (Space Age science pack #3)
• [ ] Heads up: Pentapod enemies are tough — bring the tesla rifle from Fulgora

PHASE 5 — AQUILO (the bridge to victory)

Frozen ammonia planet. Machines freeze without heat. Last planet.

• [ ] Launch a platform to Aquilo
• [ ] Heat pipes to keep machinery from freezing
• [ ] Ice platforms to expand buildable area
• [ ] Cryogenic science + fusion power unlocks
• [ ] Promethium science pack research (this is THE one for victory)
• [ ] Build a long-range space platform with the strongest weapons

PHASE 6 — VICTORY: SOLAR SYSTEM EDGE

• [ ] Build a space platform capable of reaching the solar system edge (100,000 km from Aquilo)
• [ ] Stock it with enough promethium science to research on-route
• [ ] Equip with the strongest weapons available — huge asteroids are immune to anything weaker
• [ ] Fly out. First arrival triggers the "Second star to the right and straight on till morning" achievement
• [ ] Optional speedrun achievements: 100 hours ("Work around the clock") or 40 hours ("Express delivery")

OPTIONAL: BEYOND VICTORY

• [ ] Shattered Planet (4,000,000 km — only accessible from solar system edge, hardest content in the game)
• [ ] Quality module loops — grind legendary-quality buildings and items
• [ ] Elevated rails mod-pack (if installed) — refactor your Nauvis rail network

TIPS FOR NOT BURNING OUT

• The 3 first planets are independent — if you're stuck on Gleba, you can pivot to Fulgora or Vulcanus and come back.
• Save before each new planet landing. Seriously.
• Don't try to perfect every planet before moving on. The game expects you to ship resources between planets and improve them gradually.

End of plan. Have fun, engineer.

PHASE 0 — DETAILED NAUVIS DEEP-DIVE (pre-Space Age)

The full pre-rocket playthrough. Tick sub-tasks as you complete them. Source: Factorio Wiki + standard first-time-player best practices.

0.1 — FIRST 10 MINUTES (spawn → burner science)

• [ ] Press E to mine. Mine trees for wood, coal, stone, iron, copper
• [ ] Craft a stone furnace (2 stone)
• [ ] Smelt ~10 iron plates by hand (burner inserters into a chest)
• [ ] Craft burner mining drill, burner inserter, stone furnace
• [ ] Build the FIRST AUTOMATED IRON LINE:
• 1 burner drill on iron → burner inserter → 1 stone furnace → chest
• [ ] Build the FIRST AUTOMATED COPPER LINE (same shape, copper patch)
• [ ] Hand-craft 5 red science packs (copper plate + iron gear)
• [ ] Craft a lab, place it, insert the 5 red science packs, RUN IT
• [ ] Research: Automation (unlocks assemblers)

0.2 — RED + GREEN SCIENCE AUTOMATION (the core bus)

• [ ] Research: Automation 2 (unlocks long-handed inserter)
• [ ] Build your first MAIN BUS (parallel belts for iron, copper)
• Standard: 4 iron lanes + 4 copper lanes (you'll thank yourself later)
• Leave gaps for future lanes: gears, green circuits, steel, plastic
• [ ] Set up GEAR PRODUCTION (2 iron plates → 1 iron gear wheel)
• [ ] Set up GREEN CIRCUIT PRODUCTION (1 iron + 3 copper → 1 green circuit)
• This will be your biggest consumer of copper. Make LOTS of these.
• [ ] Research: Logistics (unlocks fast inserters, transport belts)
• [ ] Hand-craft 6 green science packs (1 inserter + 1 belt)
• [ ] Research: Automation 3 (stack inserters, steel furnace, long-handed inserter productivity)
• [ ] Replace stone furnaces with STEEL FURNACES (2x speed)
• [ ] Set up STEEL PRODUCTION (5 iron plates → 1 steel plate in stone furnace)
• [ ] Lay the BUS in sections, each block leaves room for:
• Smelting → Gears → Green circuits → Science

0.3 — POWER (get off burners ASAP)

• [ ] Research: Steam power (steam engine + boiler)
• [ ] Place an OFFSHORE PUMP in a water source
• [ ] Build 10 BOILERS (coal-fired) + 10 STEAM ENGINES
• [ ] Wire it up: pump → boiler → engine → pole
• [ ] Add a COAL SUPPLY to the boilers (burner inserters from a coal chest)
• [ ] Decommision burner drills as electric drills come online
• [ ] RESEARCH: Solar power (you'll want it before nuclear)

0.4 — MILITARY (biters will push back)

• [ ] Research: Turrets (gun turret, 50 iron + 30 copper + 20 steel + 20 gears)
• [ ] Set up AMMO PRODUCTION (iron plate → iron stick → firearm magazine)
• [ ] Research: Walls + gates
• [ ] Build a PERIMETER WALL around your base (gun turret every 8-10 tiles)
• [ ] Power the turrets (they need electricity!)
• [ ] Manually clear any spawners near your pollution cloud
• [ ] Tip: pollution drives biter evolution — keep it under control early

0.5 — OIL PROCESSING (unlocks blue science + plastic)

• [ ] Research: Oil processing (pumpjack, refinery, chemical plant)
• [ ] Find an OIL PATCH, place a PUMPJACK on it
• [ ] Build a basic REFINERY: crude oil → (fluid) → basic oil processing
• [ ] Outputs: heavy oil, light oil, petroleum gas
• [ ] Set up BASIC CHEMICAL PLANT for:
• Water + coal → carbon (used in some recipes)
• Petroleum gas → plastic bar
• [ ] Set up SULFURIC ACID production (water + sulfur → sulfuric acid)
• Sulfur: water + petroleum gas in chemical plant
• [ ] Set up SOLID FUEL (light oil → solid fuel) — backup for trains and furnaces

0.6 — BLUE SCIENCE (the first big wall)

• [ ] Research: Logistics 2 (unlocks fast transport belt)
• [ ] Research: Fluid handling (pipes, pumps, storage tanks)
• [ ] Research: Advanced oil processing (better refinery output split)
• [ ] Set up ADVANCED OIL PROCESSING (gives you more solid fuel + less waste)
• [ ] CRACK HEAVY OIL → light oil → petroleum gas (keep refinery balanced)
• Use cracking recipes to convert excess heavy/light into petroleum
• [ ] Set up RED CIRCUIT production (2 green circuits + 2 plastic + 1 copper wire)
• Copper wire: 1 copper plate → 2 copper wire (use 2 assemblers for 1 circuit)
• [ ] Blue science recipe: red circuit + green circuit + sulfuric acid → blue science
• This needs 4 assemblers: 2 for copper wire → 1 for green → 1 for red
• [ ] Aim for ~20-30 blue science per minute sustained

0.7 — LOGISTICS + ROBOTICS (unlocks big builds)

• [ ] Research: Construction robots (roboports, passive provider chests, requester chests)
• [ ] Research: Logistic robots (storage chests, buffer chests)
• [ ] Set up ROBOT PRODUCTION (1 frame + 4 green circuits + 2 red circuits)
• [ ] Set up LOW DENSITY STRUCTURE production (steel + copper + plastic) — KEEP THIS IN MIND
• You'll need these for rocket parts later
• [ ] Set up ACCUMULATOR production (iron + battery) — for solar power
• [ ] Research: Logistic system (full roboports + logistic chests)

0.8 — PURPLE (UTILITY) SCIENCE

• [ ] Purple science recipe: 1 rocket control unit + 10 green circuits + 1 low density structure
• [ ] Set up ROCKET CONTROL UNIT production (1 processing unit + 1 speed module)
• Processing unit: 2 green circuits + 20 copper wire + 2 red circuits (this is the wall)
• [ ] Tip: Purple science eats a LOT of circuits. Scale up green + red production.

0.9 — YELLOW (SPACE) SCIENCE PACK

• [ ] Yellow science recipe: 1 rocket control unit + 10 low density structures + 10 rocket fuel
• [ ] ROCKET FUEL: 1 solid fuel (made from light oil) — build a dedicated solid fuel line
• [ ] LOW DENSITY STRUCTURE: 15 steel + 10 copper + 5 plastic — MAJOR resource hog
• [ ] SCALE UP your steel + plastic + copper production
• [ ] Set up dedicated ROCKET CONTROL UNIT line (you'll need a LOT of these)

0.10 — ROCKET SILO + LAUNCH

• [ ] Research: Rocket silo (unlocks the structure itself)
• [ ] Place the ROCKET SILO (a massive 9x9 structure)
• [ ] Load 100 low density structure + 100 rocket control unit + 100 rocket fuel
• [ ] Wait... and LAUNCH 🚀
• [ ] Achievement: "You have got a rocket to the moon"
• [ ] This unlocks the SPACE AGE tech tree — Phase 1 begins

END OF NAUVIS DEEP-DIVE — proceed to PHASE 1 (Space Platforms)