Uncommon+ Satellite ROI?

[reduke]

Since a rocket launch is very expensive and a satellite is only a relatively small part of that, I was wondering if anyone had done the calculations to determine if there is a positive return on investment for uncommon satellites? (I don't have the brain power right now to figure it out!)

Obviously putting quality modules into the final machine is an easy net win, but what about specifically producing uncommon+ quality parts?

[eugenekay]

The Quality Mod is part of the Space Age DLC. Enabling the “Space Age” mod disables the Satellite recipe from the game and lowers the cost of a Rocket launch. While it is possible to enable with third-party mods there are probably not that many Quality Satellites that have ever been crafted.

[reduke]

Ah, I haven't enabled Space Age yet, only Quality.

[Techjar]

In terms of raw resource input, quality science is always a net loss. Uncommon only gives double the science value while costing about 4x as much resources (assuming you use ore upcycling/voiding with legendary quality module 3s, which I think is the only really practical way of doing it). The benefit of making uncommon science is that you need half as many machines and labs to produce and consume it for the same SPM, so at megabase levels you can get more "SPM per UPS".

[Hurkyl]

In terms of raw resource input, quality science is always a net loss. Uncommon only gives double the science value while costing about 4x as much resources (assuming you use ore upcycling/voiding with legendary quality module 3s, which I think is the only really practical way of doing it). The benefit of making uncommon science is that you need half as many machines and labs to produce and consume it for the same SPM, so at megabase levels you can get more "SPM per UPS".

That isn't true. For example, you can make quality production science by dropping four quality modules in the crafters for electric furnaces, production module 1s, and rails, filtering the higher quality items off to machines to craft higher quality science, and adding a process to deal with the (relatively tiny) excesses of one type of item or the other from random variations.

Since you can't use productivity for those ingredients, you aren't paying a resource cost in the crafting.

[evanrinehart]

Hold on. In vanilla + quality, high quality satellites does something? This I gotta try

[wizcreations]

Does the satellite even have quality tiers? None are listed on the Satellite or Quality pages of the wiki.

https://wiki.factorio.com/Satellite
https://wiki.factorio.com/Quality

[Stargateur]

vanilla + quality there is no reason to not put quality module inside the satellite crafter because you can't put productivity module anyway this will give you extra science for same cost.

[kpreid]

Does the satellite even have quality tiers? None are listed on the Satellite or Quality pages of the wiki.

I just confirmed using a quick /editor setup. You can make a quality satellite with quality modules (or quality ingredients, of course) and when you launch a quality satellite, you get quality science back. This is not a quality bonus to the satellite, so it doesn't have the little diamond — it works like crafting recipes, giving you products of the same tier as the ingredients.

Screenshot 2026-05-11 at 07.54.21.jpeg (207.72 KiB) Viewed 215 times

[wizcreations]

Does the satellite even have quality tiers? None are listed on the Satellite or Quality pages of the wiki.

I just confirmed using a quick /editor setup. You can make a quality satellite with quality modules (or quality ingredients, of course) and when you launch a quality satellite, you get quality science back. This is not a quality bonus to the satellite, so it doesn't have the little diamond — it works like crafting recipes, giving you products of the same tier as the ingredients.

Screenshot 2026-05-11 at 07.54.21.jpeg

Thanks for doing the work to check! Seems like you discovered an update needed for the wiki.

[Techjar]

That isn't true. For example, you can make quality production science by dropping four quality modules in the crafters for electric furnaces, production module 1s, and rails, filtering the higher quality items off to machines to craft higher quality science, and adding a process to deal with the (relatively tiny) excesses of one type of item or the other from random variations.

Since you can't use productivity for those ingredients, you aren't paying a resource cost in the crafting.

Well yes, that is true, however putting those quality modules in mostly precludes the use of beacons, meaning you need more machines to get the same amount of stuff. Plus I figure the extra complexity of dealing with the mixed quality probably outweighs whatever savings you might get from the higher quality science. That said, in the specific case of putting quality modules on the satellite itself, it probably makes sense since you simply get higher quality bottles without having to worry about the quality of the intermediates.