Oxygen Mask Dock

The Oxygen Mask Dock is a utility building that stores oxygen masks when they are not being worn and refills them for reuse. It is part of the oxygen mask logistics chain in Spaced Out!, where masks are no longer handled by the older single-purpose Oxygen Mask Station. Instead, mask production, distribution, and storage are split between the Crafting Station, Oxygen Mask Checkpoint, and Oxygen Mask Dock.

When an oxygen mask is returned to a dock, it is held in storage and replenished with oxygen until it is needed again. This makes the dock the natural place to park masks between shifts or after a Duplicant leaves a low-oxygen area. The building does not improve the mask itself; it simply keeps masks ready for the next use.

A few practical limits are worth keeping in mind:

• Duplicants still exhale carbon dioxide, so oxygen masks are a poor solution for building in a vacuum.
• Oxygen masks provide less stored oxygen than an Atmo Suit.
• Wearing one imposes a -2 Athletics penalty, though Suit Sustainability Training can offset that drawback.
• Oxygen masks have limited durability and must be repaired after their durability reaches zero.
• The mask can be crafted from 50 kg of metal ore at a Crafting Station, or recovered from a Worn Oxygen Mask.

The dock’s main value is convenience and resource efficiency. Instead of leaving masks scattered or letting them sit idle, it centralizes storage and refilling so a colony can maintain a steady supply of ready-to-use masks. That makes it especially useful in early and mid-game installations where the colony is not yet fully equipped for suits, but still needs controlled access to thinly oxygenated areas.

Historically, Oxygen Masks were made and distributed by Oxygen Mask Stations. That older setup has been replaced by the dedicated dock and checkpoint system, along with the crafting building used to produce the masks themselves.