Astrophysics
Astrophysics increases your anchored-station capacity and contributes expedition capacity and missile range. It is available directly from level 0; there is no research or lab prerequisite. In 3.0.5, each completed level unlocks one additional station.
Station capacity
Your starting station counts toward your empire limit. Former Space Dock outposts are ordinary stations and count toward that limit after retirement; existing owned stations remain intact even when over capacity.
| Completed level | Extra stations | Total station limit |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | 5 | 6 |
Each completed level unlocks one more station. Your total limit is one starting station plus your completed Astrophysics level; partial RP funding unlocks nothing. Unlike the expedition and missile-range bonuses, station capacity does not round or wait for five-level milestones. RP pricing is unchanged.
Astrophysics does not create physical planets or add slots to a location. Each physical planet has four station slots, and you may own only one station there. Send a Heavy Freighter to establish another station at an eligible empty slot; it carries supplies and is consumed on success.
Other effects
The expedition-capacity bonus follows its own rounded +1 whole-number progression, not the station limit. Current deep-space Exploration missions also require their own Wayfinder Research and mission-family capacity; Astrophysics is not a substitute for those requirements.
Interplanetary Missile range is zero at research level 0 and 4 systems at level 1 in the same coordinate galaxy. Later levels use the separate rounded tier progression; check the Research preview for the current range. The old formula of five extra systems per level does not apply in 3.0.
RP cost and planning
Level 1 costs 75 base RP; later levels grow exponentially (by the configured 1.75× factor) before completed other-domain tier surcharges. Buy or automatically invest; partial funding does not grant capacity.
Buy the first level when you are ready to fund and supply another station. Check the current/max count in Overview; each completed subsequent level permits one more station. New accounts begin in G4; joining another playable galaxy creates a separate empire and is not an Astrophysics purchase.