Pod launcher
Pod launcher
A fueling port for launching one transport pod. Pod launchers can launch as a group - but the launchers must be placed adjacent to each other.
Base Stats
Building
- Size
- 1 × 2
- Minifiable
- False
- Placeable
- True
- Passability
- impassable
- Cover Effectiveness
- 75%
- Terrain Affordance
- Medium
Creation
- Required Research
- Transport pod
- Skill Required
- Construction 6
- Work To Make
- 3,000 ticks (50 secs)
- Resources to make
50 + 
1- Deconstruct yield
- 25 + 0 - 1
- Destroy yield
- 12 - 13 + 0 - 1
The pod launcher deploys a singular transport pod elsewhere in the world.
Acquisition
Pod launchers can be constructed once the Transport pod research project has been completed. They require 50 Steel, 1 Component, 3,000 ticks (50 secs) of work, and a Construction skill of 6.
Summary
Pod launchers launch transport pods, where 1 launcher can hold one pod. Transport pods must be built on a pod launcher's loading zone. Each transport pod can hold 150 kg of items.
Pod launchers require 
chemfuel in order to launch. Each tile of distance requires 2.25 chemfuel (rounded down). Pods can send pods up to 66 tiles away, which requires 150 chemfuel to do so. Extra fuel remains in the pod for future use. If you deconstruct the launcher, any remaining fuel will be dropped in item form, thought the normal loss of the required resources will occur.
Launch targets
Pods can be launched at an empty tile to start a caravan, at a caravan itself to add to it, or at a faction base, colony, or event space. Manned pods dropping at an unloaded faction base can choose to drop at the edge or center. When dropping into a loaded map, such as a player-controlled colony (including its own tile), players can choose the pods' exact drop point. Be careful with the landing site, as the pods can go through constructed roof. While they don't deal any damage directly, the collapsing roof can damage nearby items.
Dropping an unmanned pod, with items inside, into a faction base will contribute towards goodwill proportional to the market value of the items. Dropping an unmanned pod to an empty tile causes the items to be lost. Toxic wastepacks 
disposed of this way will cause pollution on the given tile, annoying nearby factions.
Grouped launchers
Launchers can be grouped, allowing you to fire multiple transport pods at the same time. They have to be "adjacent", sharing 1 tile of length of a common border. Touching corner-to-corner or via a Transport Pod touching both launchers will not work. In effect, grouped launchers can only be places in a row lengthwise or in a "spooning L" formation (where the foot of the L is the Pod).
Grouped launchers will purposefully avoid their individual storage capacity. This can avoid wasting capacity when loading multiple, heavy objects (like colonists), or allow you to launch objects that are too heavy for 1 pod (like an elephant). Otherwise, grouping launchers is mostly for convenience.
Version history
- 1.1.0 - Refueling is now toggleable.
- Misc
- Caravan hitching spot • Egg box • Grave • Marriage spot • Party spot • Pen marker • Sarcophagus • Tool cabinet • Meditation spot
• Nature shrine (Large, Small) - (research)
- Comms console • Cryptosleep casket • Firefoam popper • Ground-penetrating scanner • Long-range mineral scanner • Moisture pump • Multi-analyzer • Orbital trade beacon • Pod launcher • Stele (Large, Grand) • Transport pod • Vitals monitor • Ship landing beacon