Factorio Forums

TL;DR

Add the ability to obtain stone on a space platform or by other means

Problem:

Since version 2.0, it has been possible to mine resources from space (iron, copper, and petroleum products), and since version 2.1, space platforms have become more autonomous (logistics between platforms). This allows you to obtain all the basic resources needed for most recipes in space. Except for STONE.
This eliminates the following options:
1. Producing all non-unique science packages in space.
Gray and purple packages require stone; sending stone from Nauvis or transporting it from other planets doesn't seem like a neat or efficient solution.
Imagine science in space, where each platform makes one type of basic science pack and sends it to a platform with laboratories!
2. Playing on an island map.
The island will run out of resources, but moving entirely to another planet or transporting all resources from other planets to Nauvis isn't the most attractive idea. Iron, copper, and petroleum products (in barrels) can now be shipped from space, but the lack of stone ruins the idea of ​​self-sufficiency. Without stone there will be no walls, backfill, or rails. And most importantly, scientific research, because it's endless. Biolabs can only be installed on Nauvis (that's why basic science on other planets is not so attractive), and without stone, gray and purple science packages would have to be imported from other planets or transported directly.
But stone is a simple and basic resource!

Solution:

Add the ability to obtain stone on a space platform or by other means.
My suggestions:
1. An additional recipe for the crusher that allows you to obtain stone from any asteroid (the amount depends on the asteroid type). This makes sense, as asteroids can contain stone.
2. Add a by-product in the form of stone when a foundry produces molten metal from ore (like lava, but in much smaller quantities). This makes sense, as ore is not a pure metal, and the foundry can produces a by-product when extracting the metal from the ore.

As far as I've heard, version 2.1 is the last one to feature gameplay changes, and autonomous stone production, in my opinion, is quite important for the implementation of many ideas. This idea will also be easy to implement and test within this patch (I hope).

If not now, then never
Please do this

+1

Petroleum products need coal liquification. As neither the boiler nor the heat exchanger works on a space platform, you can only do that via nuclear power. So you have to import nuclear fuel cells for that, making it nor entirely space based.

And for stone, you can space mine calcite, turn that into stone on vulcanis and use that as a fully renewable stone source.

It is kind of funny that the one thing you can't get from space rocks is...rocks.

ichVII wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2026 6:44 am Petroleum products need coal liquification. As neither the boiler nor the heat exchanger works on a space platform, you can only do that via nuclear power. So you have to import nuclear fuel cells for that, making it nor entirely space based.

And for stone, you can space mine calcite, turn that into stone on vulcanis and use that as a fully renewable stone source.

Simple coal liquefaction works without steam.
I think stone as a byproduct from molten iron/copper is a good idea. Maybe also as a byproduct of coal liquefaction as well. It's all rocks after all.
Self replicating platforms are impossible right now, due to oil refineries and electric furnaces requiring stone bricks to make. That doesn't feel right.

+1 simply because I would like to provide Aquilo with concrete without having to fly ships back and forth.

I have a space station parked in Aquilo orbit to collect basic resources to supply a mall on Aquilo just for convenience of all the things only needed every now and then.
Yet the only thing you cannot make using only Aquilo + it's Orbit is stone, which is necessary for concrete (and rails) which in turn are necessary to build literally anything on Aquilo.

Sure, you can just have an automated space ship delivering concrete from Fulgora or Gleba but it is just so frustrating to be on the cusp of being a fully independent planet yet be blocked by STONE of all things.

Who could have thought that carbon was more abundant in space than stone.

radical_larry wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2026 7:56 am

ichVII wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2026 6:44 am Petroleum products need coal liquification. As neither the boiler nor the heat exchanger works on a space platform, you can only do that via nuclear power. So you have to import nuclear fuel cells for that, making it nor entirely space based.

And for stone, you can space mine calcite, turn that into stone on vulcanis and use that as a fully renewable stone source.

Simple coal liquefaction works without steam.
I think stone as a byproduct from molten iron/copper is a good idea. Maybe also as a byproduct of coal liquefaction as well. It's all rocks after all.
Self replicating platforms are impossible right now, due to oil refineries and electric furnaces requiring stone bricks to make. That doesn't feel right.

You are correct. I just never considered simple coal liquification, as it is usually super inefficient. But it does work that way.

I share the same disappointment as topic starter.
To that extent I was sort of considering going out to develop a simple mod for this.
I know there are already a few mods, but they all seem to alter original recipes which is a big no go for me.

The Concept
My proposed "Synthesis" recipes operate with the same 5s timing and 10% feedback loop as the Advanced recipes, but they shift the output balance. By sacrificing some of the "pure" yield, these recipes allow the machine to extract valuable building materials (Stone) from the asteroid matrix.

Proposed Recipes

Integrated Metallic Synthesis: 1 Metallic asteroid -> 6 Iron, 3 Copper, 2 Stone (+ 10% asteroid back)
Integrated Carbonic Synthesis: 1 Carbonic asteroid -> 3 Carbon, 1 Sulfur, 1 Stone (+ 10% asteroid back)
Integrated Oxide Synthesis: 1 Oxide asteroid -> 2 Ice, 1.5 Calcite, 0.5 Stone (+ 10% asteroid back)


Why this is needed

Balanced Trade-off: These recipes aren't "better" than the Advanced ones—they are logistically different. You choose between "Maximum Output Efficiency" (Advanced) and "Building Material Sustainability" (Synthesis).

Original recipes are not affected: This is important if you add the mod when already having lots of ships, there is no need to redesign all of them.


Research
These would be unlocked via a new mid-tier research, "Asteroid Mineral Synthesis."

I’d love to hear your feedback on these ratios, or on the idea overall.