Mission Control Station

The Mission Control Station is a science building used to boost a rocket that is already in flight. A duplicant with the Astronomy skill will operate it as a Research errand, and when the work is complete the targeted rocket receives a 20% speed boost for 1 cycle, or 600 seconds. The station is designed for managing rocket travel efficiently, making it a useful way to shorten mission times without consuming any resource beyond the power needed during operation.

To function, the building must be powered, enabled, and placed inside a valid Laboratory room. At least one of its three cells must have an unobstructed line of sight to space. In practice, any part of the station that can see through to space is enough; Airflow Tiles, Pneumatic Doors, Window Tiles, and Mesh Tiles do not block that view. Because it is a science building, it also counts toward Laboratory room construction.

A valid target must be an eligible rocket. The rocket must be in flight, not grounded, and it must not already be boosted or targeted by another Mission Control Station. Only one boost can be applied to a rocket at a time. In the base game, rockets do not have a range requirement for the station to target them. In Spaced Out!, the rocket must be within 2 tiles of the station and have enough fuel to move.

• The station is unlocked with Solid Fuel Combustion in the base game, and with Hydrocarbon Propulsion in Spaced Out!.
• Duplicants work faster at the station if it is inside a Laboratory room or if there is light over the middle cell.
• Since operating the station is a Research task, Science affects work speed and duplicants gain Science experience from using it.
• Power is only consumed while a duplicant is actively operating the station, so it is an efficient way to reduce rocket travel time.

Because it only requires a brief interaction and then grants a full cycle of increased rocket speed, the Mission Control Station is especially valuable when managing frequent launches or long-distance missions. Its biggest limitation is that it can only improve one eligible rocket at a time, so it works best when used deliberately on the flight that matters most.