Gantry

A Gantry is a rocket-access building used to let duplicants move between rocket pieces during construction, loading, and maintenance. It can be built over rocket pieces in places where ladders and tiles cannot reach, making it the standard way to bridge gaps along a rocket’s exterior. Unlike ordinary base infrastructure, it is specifically meant for use around rockets rather than general colony traversal.

Once built, a Gantry consumes 1200 W while extending or retracting, but the motion only takes 1.6 seconds each way. Because of that short operation time, multiple Gantries can be controlled with automation so they extend and retract in sequence, which allows one wire to manage a whole set of them. During rocket launch and landing, the Gantry should be retracted, or it will be damaged by the rocket’s movement.

A Jet Suit can serve as an alternative for entering a Command Capsule, but it does not replace the Gantry for leaving it. For cargo handling around modules such as the Solid Oxidizer Tank, an Auto-Sweeper can also substitute for duplicant hauling, which can remove the need to build a Gantry in some setups. In those cases, the Auto-Sweeper may need to be made from more heat-resistant materials, since rocket hardware can expose it to high temperatures.

Practical notes:

• Build Gantries where ladders and tiles cannot be placed over rocket pieces.
• Retract them before launch and landing to avoid damage.
• Use automation to stagger multiple Gantries if you want a single control line for several of them.
• Jet Suits are useful for entering a Command Capsule, but not for all rocket access.
• Auto-Sweepers can reduce or eliminate the need for Gantries when handling some rocket modules.