Logistics Vessel

Logistics vessels are the cargo ships loaded into an Interstellar Logistics Station to move items automatically between different planets. They can transport goods between planets in the same star system or across different star systems, but they cannot be used for transport on the same planet. Each station can hold up to 10 vessels, and they are essential for interplanetary logistics because there is no substitute for them.

A vessel’s cargo capacity starts at 200 items and can be upgraded with Logistics Carrier Capacity to a maximum of 2000 items at level 13. Their basic speed is 600 m/s, and this can be increased indefinitely through Logistics Carrier Engine upgrades; from level III onward, each level adds 50% to the base speed. In practical terms, the max speed can be expressed as 300 × n, where n is the current upgrade level, so at level V a vessel reaches 1500 m/s. At level VIII, that works out to about 3.6 ly/hr, or one light year in roughly 16–17 minutes.

Warp is unlocked at Logistics carrier engine IV. When warp is enabled on the hosting Interstellar Logistics Station, vessels gain a 200× speed boost, but each trip consumes two Space Warpers: one for the outbound leg and one for the return. Vessels begin and end warp at 2.5 km from the planet, and warp also increases the station’s power load. Because of this cost, warp is valuable for long-distance, high-throughput logistics, but it is not always necessary.

For shorter interstellar routes, especially those under about 3 light years, non-warp travel can still be practical. This is particularly useful for rarer or lower-demand resources that do not need very high throughput. If more throughput is needed without warp, you can compensate by increasing the number of vessels assigned to the route. Since capacity is measured in individual units rather than stacks, vessels are especially efficient for low-stack items such as hydrogen compared with Icarus.

• Vessels only move cargo between planets, not within a single planet.
• Each Interstellar Logistics Station can store up to 10 vessels.
• Capacity upgrades improve how many items a vessel can carry, while engine upgrades improve travel speed.
• Warp greatly improves throughput over long distances, but it consumes Space Warpers and increases power usage.
• For short routes, slower travel with a larger fleet can be more efficient than paying the warp cost.