Factorio Forums

After a rocket launch space science packs magically appear in the silo. I want to have the option to have rockets return from space and unload their inventory instead. With this it should be possible to use rocket silos and rockets similar to trains to send goods into space and have the rocket land on another rocket silo. Or just go into space, retrieve samples (modify rocket inventory) and land back on the originating silo to return the samples.

It would be up to mods to change the rocket inventory after launch and land the rocket or direct it to a different silo, possibly on another surface. The request here is just for an interface to trigger the graphics sequences and a bit more information of the state of the silo.

Rocket landing

It would be nice to have a rocket land on a rocket silo on command:

land_rocket(rocket) -> bool

Parameters
rocket : LuaEntity (RocketSiloRocket) -- Rocket to land on silo or nil

Returns true if the rocket silo is empty and will have the rocket landing.
Closes silo doors and goes into closed/building state if rocket is nil.

Effects:

Play the rocket launch sequence in reverse. Optional: have separate landing animation.

Events:

on_rocket_landing_ordered -- analog to on_rocket_launch_ordered
on_rocket_landed -- analog to on_rocket_launched

Lower rocket

It would be nice to have a rocket be lowered back into the silo and the doors closed on command:

lower_rocket() -> bool

Returns true if the silo has a rocket on the launch pad and will lower it. Returns false if no rocket is on the launch pad or there isn't enough space in the rocket silos output inventory.

Effects:

Lowers the rocket into the silo and closes the doors (just the opening sequence in reverse). The rockets inventory is transferred to the silos output inventory after the doors have closed.

Events:

on_rocket_lower_ordered -- fires when a rocket starts to sink into the silo
on_rocket_lowered -- fires when the rocket is lowered and the doors are closed

Opening silo

rise_rocket() -> bool

Returns true if the silo is closed and has a rocket.

Events:

on_rocket_rising_ordered -- fires when a rocket silo has build a rocket and starts to open the doors
on_rocket_risen -- fires when the rocket is risen

Effects:

Open doors and rise rocket.

Building rockets

If the rocket silo has auto_build == false (see below) there should still be an option to go into building mode:

build_rocket() -> bool

Start building a new rocket. Returns true if silo enters building state. Returns false if opening, opened, launching, landing, landed, closing.

Rocket silo status and new options

rocket :: LuaEntity (RocketSiloRocket) [RW] -- Rocket that is launching/landing/standing on/in this silo or nil.
wait_for_landing :: boolean [RW] -- Whether this rocket silo gives science after launch or waits for landing
auto_build :: boolean [RW] -- Whether this rocket silo goes into building or empty state after launch (or after landing if wait_for_landing)
auto_lower :: boolean [RW] -- Whether this rocket silo automatically lowers landed rockets
auto_rise :: boolean [RW] -- Whether this rocket silo automatically rises rockets
rocketsilo_status :: SiloStatus [R] -- Current status of the silo

SiloStatus:
building -- waiting for rocket parts to build the rocket
opening -- opening doors and rising rocket
opened -- rocket it sitting on the launch pad before launch
launching -- rocket is launching
launched -- waiting for a rocket to land
landing -- rocket is landing
landed -- rocket is sitting on the launch pad before lowering
closing -- lowering rocket and closing doors
closed -- closed silo but not building a new rocket

Rocket mining

When the silo goes into building mode with a rocket present then the rocket is mined. The mining results are transferred into the output inventory.

SpaceXing the rockets back to a landing pad would be so insanely cool

maybe landing "rocket" can be different one,so you can use Parachute instead?

Hmm, would this not then affect the resources required for launching subsequent rockets? This could significantly reduce the costs of the space science packs going forward unless the lander was nothing more than a capsule with a parachute, but that shouldn't be able to aim and land on something as small as the rocket pad and even if it could, what would be the point then?

Honestly, I've always seen space science packs as being more a physical representation of data then actual stuff retrieved from space. :/

FuryoftheStars wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 17, 2022 2:47 pm

Hmm, would this not then affect the resources required for launching subsequent rockets? This could significantly reduce the costs of the space science packs going forward unless the lander was nothing more than a capsule with a parachute, but that shouldn't be able to aim and land on something as small as the rocket pad and even if it could, what would be the point then?

Honestly, I've always seen space science packs as being more a physical representation of data then actual stuff retrieved from space. :/

In that case, it could make sense to just make a "Satellite Data Facility" building and have that output the science packs?
Or just add a big radar dish to the rocket pad graphics.

I would like this as well. I could use this to update an older mod and maybe release a new one

bolderbrush10 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:17 pm

FuryoftheStars wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 17, 2022 2:47 pm

Hmm, would this not then affect the resources required for launching subsequent rockets? This could significantly reduce the costs of the space science packs going forward unless the lander was nothing more than a capsule with a parachute, but that shouldn't be able to aim and land on something as small as the rocket pad and even if it could, what would be the point then?

Honestly, I've always seen space science packs as being more a physical representation of data then actual stuff retrieved from space. :/

In that case, it could make sense to just make a "Satellite Data Facility" building and have that output the science packs?
Or just add a big radar dish to the rocket pad graphics.

I'm not sure how this addresses my concern of changing resource costs?

FuryoftheStars wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 15, 2022 9:56 pm

bolderbrush10 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:17 pm

FuryoftheStars wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 17, 2022 2:47 pm

Hmm, would this not then affect the resources required for launching subsequent rockets? This could significantly reduce the costs of the space science packs going forward unless the lander was nothing more than a capsule with a parachute, but that shouldn't be able to aim and land on something as small as the rocket pad and even if it could, what would be the point then?

Honestly, I've always seen space science packs as being more a physical representation of data then actual stuff retrieved from space. :/

In that case, it could make sense to just make a "Satellite Data Facility" building and have that output the science packs?
Or just add a big radar dish to the rocket pad graphics.

I'm not sure how this addresses my concern of changing resource costs?

Sorry, I was replying while thinking about how to get the "physical representation of data" arriving from the rocket pad to make sense.

bolderbrush10 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 15, 2022 10:10 pm

Sorry, I was replying while thinking about how to get the "physical representation of data" arriving from the rocket pad to make sense.

Ah. I've stopped trying to get some things to make sense. Too many things that don't. But the game overall is still enjoyable for me.

FuryoftheStars wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 15, 2022 9:56 pm

bolderbrush10 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:17 pm

FuryoftheStars wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 17, 2022 2:47 pm

Hmm, would this not then affect the resources required for launching subsequent rockets? This could significantly reduce the costs of the space science packs going forward unless the lander was nothing more than a capsule with a parachute, but that shouldn't be able to aim and land on something as small as the rocket pad and even if it could, what would be the point then?

Honestly, I've always seen space science packs as being more a physical representation of data then actual stuff retrieved from space. :/

In that case, it could make sense to just make a "Satellite Data Facility" building and have that output the science packs?
Or just add a big radar dish to the rocket pad graphics.

I'm not sure how this addresses my concern of changing resource costs?

Shouldn't the second rocket be cheaper to send to space than the first? If additional rockets cost half as much then maybe you could return half as much space science to balance it back to what it was.

Or maybe the rocket isn't reusable as is. You don't get a rocket back but some used parts. And then you could add new ways to refurbish the rocket parts.

There are million ways to play this that all just depend on the vanilla game to have the option to land rockets.