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System Colonisation

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File:Elite Dangerous Trailblazers Key Art.jpg
ED Trailblazers

System Colonisation lets you claim and develop billions of star systems with free-form expansion in the galaxy.[1] You become the System Architect when the initial colonisation stages are complete. This allows you to manage colonial development. It's an open process that can be performed by a solo commander, squadron or faction.[2]

Colonisation has rapidly increased the number of human inhabited systems from the The Bubble across the Inner Orion Spur.[2] There is an ongoing effort to colonize the Colonia Region. The playable beta version launched on 26 February 2025,[3] and exited beta to full release on 11 November 2025.[4] By February 2026: 101,862 systems have been colonized, with 175,973 surface facilities, and 307,014 space facilities.[5]

Colonisation history

Precursor

Long before the player-led system colonization was the migration to Jaques Station in the Colonia Region in 3302 (2016). This set the precedent for distant hub-building. The Colonia Council was founded on 9 Sep 3302. It later ran expansion initiatives to settle surrounding systems and establish remote human hubs outside the Core Systems.

The Mercs of Mikunn were the first player group in ED history to have a player-built colony and station. They pioneered how systems change control, expand and collapse. Their relentless BGS manipulation was rewarded by Fdev with a Community Goal. This enabled them to colonize the Sefrys system and build their own starport headquarters, Mercenary's Respite in 3301 (2015).

In May 3303, Canonn Interestellar Research Group coordinated a major community goal to construct the first player-group megaship; The Gnosis. It was completed in under 3 days with rougly 35 million tonnes of goods delivered by over 9,400 commanders.

Player-led colonisation

The Anti-Xeno Initiative held a central role in organizing human resistance, orchestrating system blockades, and coordinating a community-wide defense effort against the Thargoids during the Second Thargoid War (3303 - 3310). Technical lead of Frontier Roger Bennett said on 16 Feb 2026: "So, humanity had just survived a devastating war that struck to the core of the bubble. And the natural narrative consequence of that is we stretch out into the stars and try to gain new footholds and new territories to make humanity more robust than ever."[6] "we wanted to put the fate of the galaxy back in the hands of the players. This is a non-authored, it's a non-scripted update. It is all about player agency. It's about giving a selection of tools and letting players go out and make the galaxy their own."[6]

Fdev launched a live beta for player-led system colonisation on 26 February 3311 (2025) alongside the Trailblazers update.[7] This formalized system colonization with the ability to deploy a Colonisation Beacon and construct new orbital and planetary facilities.

Fdev puts the fate of the galaxy in the hands of the players.[8] This is a non-authored, non scripted update.[8] It's all about player agency, giving a certain selection of tools and players go out and make the galaxy their own.[8]

Trailblazer fleet

On 19 March 3311 (2025), the Brewer Corporation deployed the trailblazers fleet to strategic locations on the edge of the Core Systems. These were 'colonisation support hubs' with a bespoke trade market for colonisation materials and goods.[9]

On 4 November 3311 the Brewer Corporation announced plans to withdraw the Trailblazer megaship fleet, citing the self-sufficiency of newly established colonies.[10] The withdrawal was completed on 11 November 3311.[11] The new Dodec starport and system colonisation launched fully with the v4.2.2.0 Dodec Update of ED: Odyssey on 11 Nov 2025.[12] Since that update the Trailblazer megaships are no longer present in the game. Their original locations are listed below for historical info.

Ship Name Star System
Trailblazer Dream HIP 90578
Trailblazer Song Orgen
Trailblazer Wish Bletii
Trailblazer Star 34 Omicron Cephei
Trailblazer Promise Klikis
Trailblazer Faith Ngobe
Trailblazer Echo Minerva

Beyond the Bubble

File:System Colonisation Map Jan 2026 ED.jpg
System Colonisation Map Jan 3312 (2026)

After the uninhabited portion of the Bubble got filled in we saw expeditions head out towards the center of the galaxy and along the Orion-Cygnus Arm as people built galactic highways to their destinations of choice.[13] The second part of that was small bubbles started to appear where people were building high density systems to create their own little inhabited bubble which is largely for production of resources so that they can continue their journey even further.[13] On 16 Feb 3312 (2026) players made 101,862 colonised systems, 307,014 facilities built in space, and 175,973 facilities built on planet surfaces.[13] This has changed the galaxy forever and made the galaxy their own.[13]

In the beginning of player-led system colonization, many initial colonization highways went south to the Thargoid, Guardian and permit locked nebulae.[14] Others went north. This required inter-faction cooperation, logistics planning and execution on an unprecedented scale.[14]

The Dukes of Mikunn became the first minor faction in the galaxy to have 1,000 controlled systems in April 2015.[15] Thousands of independent pilots assisted their cause.[15]

Project Galatea Highway

Project Galatea crosses the Norma Expanse and nears the Isegrim Nebula.[16] Numerous Super Supply Hubs have been constructed along the Sgr A* and Galtea highways by 27 August 3312.[17] It has a peak build rate of 42 outposts & 480 ly in 24 hours. The high way has extended 14,000 ly from Sol.[17]

Sanguineous Rim Highway

The Sanguineous Rim Highway reaches the Seagull Nebula and establishes a supply hub in Sep 3312.[18] The next destination is The Rosetta Nebula.[18] As of 24 Sep 3312 the galactic highways extend over 15,000 ly from Sol.[18] Commanders have visited at least 99 million systems according to galactic data of Spansh.[18]

Grand Tiberian Highway

The Grand Tiberian Highway is a megaproject to build a highway from The Bubble to the Sagittarius A*.[19] It is built by the Mercs of Mikunn for the Dukes of Mikunn, with allies, other squadrons and (500+) independent pilots.[19] It started as the Lagoon Nebula Highway and later split with the SagWay Mega Project.[19] These are all part of the Grand Tiberian Highway.[19]

Lagoon Nebula Highway

The Lagoon Nebula Highway (LNH) was a mega-project that launched around 4 March 2025. The project aimed to build a highway with a colonized chain of systems and outposts from the Bubble to the Lagoon Nebula.[20] It is primarily lead by the Mercs of Mikunn. They reached the Lagoon Nebula on 18 October 2025 (4,200 light-years from The Bubble).

Scope expanded

After reaching the Lagoon Nebula the scope grew and it was renamed to the Grand Tiberian Highway.[21] Mikunn collaborates with allies, and countless independent pilots to build colonies.[21] After 1 year, the Trifid Nebula and Cat Paw Nebula were reached in 3312.[22] The highway split: one branch through the Trifid Nebula, Omega Nebula and Eagle Nebula toward Colonia.[23][21] The other road through the Cat's Paw Nebula and NGC 6357 toward the Galactic Centre and Sagittarius A*.[23][21]

They reached the Omega Nebula on 6 Jan 2026.[24] The area has a unique starfield with:

  • 40+ ringed water worlds along the route (many unclaimed).[24]
  • Fantastic views in the nebula and stars.[24]
  • A massive starfield of O and B stars with a 50 LY radius that contain 31 black hole systems, and 57 neutron star systems.[24]

SagWay Mega Project

SagWay is the core route which crossed the Hollow Veil Nebula in September 2026 and reached the HEN 2-333 lock.[25][26] The Hollow Veil Nebula has Guardian ruins.[26] This route is shared with the Celestial Light Brigade.[25] The SagWay Mega Project is 60% completed towards the Galactic Centre.[27] This is the first step coreward to Colonia and the rest of the Galaxy. As many nebula as possible are connected along the way.[27] The highway is for everyone and all groups, to build and install their minor faction.[27] The Dukes of Mikunn became the first faction to reach 1 trillion residents (1,003,825,444,053 in 7,665 systems) on 24 October 3312 (2026).[27][28] They are near the permit locked guardian region that centers on Hen 2-333.[27]

Colonisation stats

Brewer Corporation released official figures on the initial colonisation rush on 13 March 3311 (2025):[29] 8 months after Trailblazers launched, the Bubble has expanded exponentially on 4 October 2025.[30]

Objective 13 March 3311 (2025)[29] 4 October 3311 (2025)[30][31] 16 February 3312 (2026)[5]
System claims made 26,684 101,531
Systems colonised 13,165 75,984 101,862[5]
New starports and outposts built 24,037 73,825
Surface installations established (facilities built on planet surfaces) 14,216 118,703 175,973[5]
Units of cargo delivered to construction sites 983,599,593 7,000,000,000+[31]
Space installations completed - 203,813
Most popular construction Industrial Outpost - Vulcan - 5,970
Facilities built in space - 277,638[31] 307,014[5]

These are the top economies developed.[32]

Economy Amount, Jan 3312 (2026)[32] Percentage, Jan 3312 (2026)[32]
Mining / Refining 72,836 16%
Communication 71,247 15%
Military / Security 68,187 15%
Industrial 64,059 14%
Scientific 48,076 10%
Agriculture 42,630 9%
Tourism 10,970 2%
Other / Mixed 89,974 19%

Claim

File:Colonisation Ship ED.jpg
Colonisation ship

System colonisation is a player-driven way to expand the Bubble and colonise new systems[33] Claiming a system works on a first come, first served basis.[34] The player must find an unpopulated system within 15 light years of a previously inhabited system and claim it from a System Colonisation Contact, available at any Star Port.[35] Scanning a star system in advance with an FSS reveals the number of slots that are available for construction; larger planets can typically accommodate more surface structures, while a larger number of celestial bodies provides more room for orbital structures.[36] Some systems are more valuable for construction and different stellar and planetary bodies can boost or negatively impact different kinds of economies.[36] Showing the System Map in Architect Mode will display the available orbital locations and the number of ground locations available on each body. One of the orbital slot icons will have a flag instead of a "+" sign: this indicates the location where the primary port will be constructed. If that primary port location isn't good, it is not recommended to spend commodities building anything other than a Military outpost. (Why Military? It provides population and security: most other structures subtract security, so it's one of the hardest system statistics to keep up.)

The player must purchase a claim with credits from a Colonisation Contact (CC).[37] The CC is a member of a faction in a populated system in The Bubble, and will become the initial dominant faction in any system that is successfully colonised (allowing existing BGS factions, player minor factions and - through faction proxies - the superpowers to expand their influence).[37] A Colonisation Beacon must be deployed in that system within 24 hours.[37] If this is not done within the time limit then the claim is revoked.[37] If this process fails twice, there is a 3 day wait until another claim can be made.[38] The Beacon costs 25 million credits. Multiple new systems cannot be colonised at the same time, though once an initial startport is constructed, another system can be claimed.[38]

After the Colonisation Beacon has been placed, a Colonisation Ship (CS) will arrive in the system at the initial port location.[37] These ships are among the largest megaships in the game (easily dwarfing a Drake-Class Carrier) and offer 32 landing pads for cargo deliveries.[39] The player must deliver a list of items to the CS which depends on the starport type[37] and acts as an initial hub to work on in the system.[39] Logistics is key to building a starport by transporting materials into the system.[40] Once all materials are delivered, the newly made starport will appear in the final stages of construction and it will be finished after the weekly server tick.[37] The primary port must be deployed (built) within 4 weeks; if it is not completed within this time limit then the claim will revoked and any commodities will be lost [37]. The architect will also be unable to make another claim attempt for 3 days.[38] The station under construction appears as an uninhabited starport covered in scaffolding, with inactive vendors and services, and notices advising final deployment is underway.[41]

Once the primary starport is built, the colonization beacon becomes a nav beacon.[37] Then you can build the system at your own leisure (no time limit).

The Type-11 Prospector Update 2 added functionality to prevent 'claim sniping'. When the primary port is completed in a newly colonised system, an exclusive lock on making claims FROM that system's colonisation contact will be enforced for a short period.[42]

  • The System Architect may exclusively make claims from the system for 30 minutes[42]
  • After this 30 minutes expires, anyone within the System Architect's Squadron may make a claim for the next 23.5 hours[42]
    • This will function even if the System Architect is in their own solo Squadron[42]
  • After a total of 24 hours, the exclusive claim rights lift and any player may make a claim from the newly constructed system[42]
    • Note that if the System Architect is not in a squadron, then only the 30 minute lockout applies[42]
  • The claim panel via the colonisation contact has been updated to display when a lockout is in effect, and details the remaining duration[42]

A new Colonization Contact will appear in the completed starport; this gives the option to claim and colonize another system within 15ly by contacting the Colonization Contact.[36][37] There is no limit for how many systems a commander can claim, assuming the the systems are valid and there are no outstanding primary star ports under construction.[34] [36] Given the relatively short distance of 15ly, it is not uncommon for commanders to create a daisy chain of sparsely inhabited systems to create a path towards a more desirable yet distant system.[39]

If the claimed system has planets with rings, there is a chance that Resource Extraction Sites will be created in the rings.

Icons legend

Icons displayed on Galaxy map in System colonisation view mode.

Icon Description Notes     
File:GalMap--Colonisation--System invalid.svg
 System invalid for colonisation Establishing a colony in this system is not allowed
File:Unclaimed system.svg
 Unclaimed system System is available for colonisation
File:Claimed system.webp
 Claimed system 4 weeks timer is running for completion of the primary port
File:Inhabited system.svg
 Inhabited system System is already colonised. Not available for colonisation.
Primary port construction has been completed.
File:Inhabited system-facility under construction 2.svg
 Inhabited system. Facility under construction System is already colonised.
Some facility (base) is under construction inside the system.
File:Your colony.svg
 Your colony This system is claimed? / colonised? by you
File:GalMap--Colonisation--Your colony-Construction possible.svg
 Your colony. Additional constructions are possible
From base's colonisation UI
File:System out of range.svg
 System unclaimed but out of range System is available, but too far from current base for colonisation
File:Valid target system.svg
 Valid target system System can be claimed for colonisation from current base

Construction

File:Space Depot in Nebula.png
Space Depot in nebula

If all commodities for the primary starport are delivered within the 4-week period, the player who claimed the system becomes the System Architect.[37][39] The architect has direct influence in placing existing assets, starports, planet ports, settlements and other facilities.[40] There's a plethora of tools to work with. The architect has a certain number of actions to deploy construction sites and locations.[36]

Before trying to place the first facility after completing primary starport, you must wait until after the weekly maintenance tick, which occurs on Thursdays at 0700 UTC. E.g., if you finished the primary port at 2100 UTC on Thursday, you'll need to wait almost a whole week before you can try placing a new facility. If you finished the primary port at 0600 UTC on Thursday, you only need to wait an hour or two. Unfortunately, this has been complicated by the servers not being able to process all new systems during the maintenance tick, so it's possible you need to wait for a second tick before your system responds to attempts to build a new facility.

Newly placed orbital structures will deploy a Space Depot to handle deliveries and construction, while surface facilities deploy a local construction site. Each facility costs commodities and materials to build, with larger facilities requiring more commodities of specific types to complete. There is no time limit for building additional facilities after the initial starport is completed. When construction is finished, the station services will be available after the weekly server tick. After selecting the site for your first facility, verify that the number of concurrent construction sites decreased: this value is found in the Architect View. If it didn't decrease, your system may not have had its first maintenance tick yet.

For new surface facilities, after choosing the site, you must leave the instance for the construction site to appear. The construction site for a surface facility may appear immediately after leaving the instance, or it may take up to 48 hours. If it hasn't appeared after 48 hours, check the Architect View to see how many concurrent constructions you can have. If that number didn't decrease after selecting the site, it's possible your system didn't have its first tick of weekly maintenance yet. If a tick happened during the 48 hours you waited, you may want to try placing the site again. Otherwise, you'll need to wait until the tick to try placing the facility again.

The Architect can leave the system in whatever state and return later. Once the system architect moves on, the system development stays as it is with an active BGS.[34] You stay the System Architect of all your colonies forever.[34] You can return to edit, add more to one of your old colonies.[34] There are no colony upkeep costs[34]

Facility location

Note: When opening a new construction project inside your system, although it should have been patched, the facility may be placed in a different construction slot than the one selected originally, If this happens, don't panic. Read the demolition section further.

Why is facility location important? - The position of the facility in the system influences the economy of that system. Facilities closer to their orbiting celestial bodies have more influence than the ones orbiting further. Essentially, the further the facility to a starport, the weaker the market connection.

Ground Ports

Do not build ground ports yet: they don't seem to be affected by economic influences. Orbital ports seem to work, however. (Surface Settlements and Surface Hubs seem to work fine: it's just the four Planetary Port surface installations that never sell more than three commodities.)

Colony Tech Tree

File:Colonization Beta 1 Tech Tree by CMDR VanionBB.png
A chart illustrating the upgrade paths and building requirements for colony development.

The tech tree image shows the beta 1 version (Feb 2025) of the building requirements for a colony.

Each construction adds or substracts the following: Population Increase, Max Population, security, tech level, wealth, standard of living, development level.

Orbital Facilities

The system map shows all potential locations for a orbital facility. You can select the location and choose a facility to be deployed. Deliver goods and once that's finished the facility will be deployed.[36] There are multiple tiers for orbital facilities.[36] The big spaceports such as the Ocellus take a lot of effort.[36] A supporting economy with small and mid-tier facilities are needed to unlock the large-tier facilities.[36] The available orbital facilities are from ED: Horizons.[36] Here's a list of facilities that can be built:

Orbital facilities
Facility Type Economy Location Tier Requires Landing pad Construction Points Cost Construction Points Reward Initial Population Increase Max Population Increase System Economy Influence Security Tech Level Wealth Standard of Living Development Level
Coriolis Starport Colony Orbital 2 First station Large Tier 2: 3 Tier 3: 1 1 0 -2 1 2 3 2
Asteroid Base Starport Extraction Orbital 2 First station Large Tier 2: 3 Tier 3: 1 1 0 -1 3 5 -4 7
Ocellus Starport Colony Orbital 3 First station Large Tier 3: 6 5 1 -3 6 7 5 8
Orbis Starport Colony Orbital 3 First station Large Tier 3: 6 5 1 -3 6 7 5 8
Dodec Starport Colony Orbital 3 First station Large Tier 3: 6 8 4 -4 8 9 7 10
Commercial Outpost Outpost Colony Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 -1 2 5
Industrial Outpost Outpost Industrial Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 3 2
Criminal Outpost Outpost Colony Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 Contraband -2 2
Civilian Outpost Outpost Colony Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 -1 1 1 1
Scientific Outpost Outpost Hightech Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 1 0 3
Military Outpost Outpost Military Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 1 0 2
Satellite Installation Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 1 1 1
Communication station Installation Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 1 3
Space farm Installation Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Agricultural 5 1
Pirate base Installation Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Contraband -4 3
Mining outpost Installation Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Extraction 3 -2
Relay station Installation Orbital 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Hightech 1 1
Military Installation Orbital 2 Small/Medium/Large Military Settlement Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Military 6
Security Station Installation Orbital 2 Relay station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Military 8 3 2
Government Installation Orbital 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 2 6 2
Medical Installation Orbital 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Hightech 3 5
Research station Installation Orbital 2 Small/Medium/Large Scientific Settlement Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Hightech 8 2
Tourist Installation Orbital 2 Small/Medium/Large Tourism Settlement Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Tourism -3 6 2
Bar Installation Orbital 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Tourism -2 2 3

Planetary facilities

You can fly around on a planet and choose a custom location to build a facility.[36] Rotate and place facilities on a planet with a holographic view.[37] The available slots for additional development are predetermined by the system.[37] After choosing a facility there will be a ground-based construction site.[37] Deliver all the goods then the planetary facility will appear.[37][36] The available planetary facilities are from Odyssey and Horizons.[36] Some facilities give population buffs.[36]

Warning: In the UI for creating a Settlement, the sizes are shown as "Small" "Medium" and "Large." However, when complete, these will show as "Tiny" "Small (+)" and "Medium (++)" in the Nav Panel. See Issue 73899.

Planetary facilities
Facility Type Economy Tier Requires Landing Pad Construction Points Cost Construction Points Reward Initial Population Increase Max Population Increase System Economy Influence Security Tech Level Wealth Standard of Living Development Level
CIvilian planetary outpost Outpost Colony 1 First station Large Tier 2: 1 2 0 -2 3
Industrial planetary outpost Outpost Industrial 1 First station Large Tier 2: 1 1 0 -1 2
Scientific planetary outpost Outpost Hightech 1 First station Large Tier 2: 1 1 0 -1 5 1
Planetary Port Port Colony 3 First station Large Tier 3: 6 10 10 -3 5 5 6 10
Small agricultural settlement Settlement Agriculture 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 Agricultural 3
Medium agricultural settlement Settlement Agriculture 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 Agricultural 6
Large agricultural settlement Settlement Agriculture 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 2 0 0 Agricultural 10
Small Extraction Settlement Settlement Extraction 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 Extraction 2
Medium Extraction Settlement Settlement Extraction 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 Extraction 5
Large Extraction Settlement Settlement Extraction 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 2 0 0 Extraction 1 7 -2
Small Industrial Settlement Settlement Industrial 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 Industrial 2
Medium Industrial Settlement Settlement Industrial 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 Industrial 5
Large Industrial Settlement Settlement Industrial 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 2 0 0 Industrial 2 8
Small Military Settlement Settlement Military 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 Military 2
Medium Military Settlement Settlement Military 1 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 0 0 Military 4
Large Military Settlement Settlement Military 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 2 0 0 Military 6 2
Small scientific settlement Settlement Hightech 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 0 0 Hightech 3 1
Medium scientific settlement Settlement Hightech 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 0 0 Hightech 6 1
Large scientific settlement Settlement Hightech 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 2 0 0 Hightech 10 2
Small tourism settlement Settlement Tourism 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 0 0 Tourism -1 1
Medium tourism settlement Settlement Tourism 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 0 0 Tourism -1 2
Large tourism settlement Settlement Tourism 2 First station Medium Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 2 0 0 Tourism -1 5
Extraction hub Hub 2 Small/Medium/Large Mining Settlement X Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Extraction 10 -4 2
Civilian Hub Hub 2 Small/Medium/Large Agricultural Settlement X Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 -3 3 2
Exploration hub Hub 2 Communication Station X Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Tourism -1 6 2
Outpost hub Hub 2 Space farm X Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 -2 3 2
Scientific hub Hub 2 First station X Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Hightech 10
Military hub Hub 2 Military X Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Military 10
Refinery hub Hub 2 First station X Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Refinery -1 3 5 -2 7
High tech hub Hub 2 First station X Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Hightech -2 10 -2
Industrial hub Hub 2 Mining outpost X Tier 2: 1 Tier 3: 1 Industrial 3 5 -4 2

Economy

File:Colonisation Linking Infographic 1 ED.jpg
Colonisation Linking Infographic

Frontier is patching the economy system on April 30, 2025. They have posted the new economy rules in the patch notes.

On August 21, 2025, Frontier greatly simplified the Economy mechanics: in a given commodity market, the top two economies will not be cannibalized by any economy in that market. The strongest economy will be treated as if no other economies are in the market. The second strongest economy will also be treated as if no other economies are in the market.

Commander Wartface has posted research in the forums that looks useful, but this is from before the August 21, 2025 update.

How To Get CMM Composite

If you want your system to generate CMM Composite, you'll need to set up one of the following:

  1. Rocky body. This gives a base economy of Refinery + 1.0. Building a Surface - Planetary Port - Outpost Civilian or Surface - Planetary Port - Port will produce CMM Composite. There's a bonus if the system's reserves level is Major or Pristine, and a penalty for Low or Depleted reserves. If the body has geological signals, biological signals, or terraforming, you may need to add Refinery Hubs on the surface to get the Refinery strength high enough to be one of the top two Economies.
  2. High Metal Content body. This gives a base economy of Extraction + 1.0. You will need to build one of the Planetary Ports with Colony economy (Outpost Civilian or Port) and then build one or more Refinery Hubs. If the body has geological signals, biological signals, or terraforming, you may need to add Refinery Hubs on the surface to get the Refinery strength high enough to be one of the top two Economies.

As long as the Refinery Economy stays in one of the top two spots of the market, you can build whatever else you want in the system (or even on that body).

For a long discussion on this, see this post in the forums, but this is from before the August 21, 2025 update.

Commodities Restricted to Surface or Orbital Markets

Some commodities are limited to either surface or orbital markets. The table below describes which commodities are affected by orbital or surface markets.

Orbital- and Surface-Restricted Commodities
Commodity Location Economy
Ceramic Composite Surface Refinery
CMM Composite Surface Refinery
Emergency Power Cells Surface Industrial
Orbital High Tech/Refinery within 30 ly of Akhenaten
Explosives Surface High Tech or Refinery
Orbital Refinery
Insulating Membrane Orbital Refinery
Muon Imager Surface High Tech or Industrial
Water Orbital Agriculture
Surface Agriculture or Extraction

Estimate Market Production

If you calculate the weights of the various economies (including weak links) for a port, you can use this tool to get an estimate of the supply & demand ratios between commodities. Positive values indicate the market should sell the commodity, and negative values indicate market imports. For instance, my featureless Rocky body with a Planetary Civilian Outpost has economies of Refinery + 1.4, Agriculture + 0.25, Military + 0.25, High Tech + 0.1, and Industry + 0.05. Entering those numbers into the tool, it tells me the "normal" ratio of CMM Composite at the Civilian Outpost is 27.9. This means I should have plenty of CMM Composite available for other facility construction. (Note: Every time you recalculate the economy, you'll need to reselect the number of items to show.)

Government Type

In that same video, Mechan suggests the government type of the faction that controls the port also affects the market: if a government type lists a commodity as illegal, it won't be available in the market.

Further official information

An anarchy system has reduced security.[36]

According to an official announcement[43] on the forum, the economy from a construction specifically affects the markets of starports on or orbiting the same body.

There are also reports that only a commodity market in orbital slot 0 will be affected by economic influences of facilities at that body.

Population

Different facilities influence the population in a system.[1] The baseline population scales significantly by station type, orbital facilities and local planetary body multipliers. These are estimates, because there are no official stats:

Placing a station near rich bodies like Water Worlds (30x multiplier) or Earth-Like Worlds (40x multiplier).

Demolition

File:Demolition UI.png
Facility demolition

A recent update made it possible to dismantle unwanted or wrongly placed facilities.

Cancel construction

How to cancel facility construction in an already claimed system:

  1. Open the galaxy map, find the target system the facility is located in
  2. Open the system map and go into architect view mode
  3. Select the facility you want to demolish/cancel construction
  4. Press the demolish/cancel button at the bottom of the construction site required commodities list
  5. Confirm

The demolition process will be completed after server tick/maintenance, a count down timer will be shown in the UI.

Important notes

These are important notes when canceling/demolishing a facility:

  1. Primary ports may not be demolished.
  2. Already delivered commodities will not be refunded.
  3. If you spent ARX to personalize a starport/outpost, it will not be refunded. (This may need confirmation, but assume as such)
    1. Starport/outpost paint jobs should still be in your account inventory and it should be possible to apply them to any other starport you constructed, like ship paint jobs.
  4. Construction points that were used to build that facility will be refunded.
  5. There is no limit to how many demolition/canceling requests can be made at the same time.
  6. You can change your mind at any time before the demolition timer runs out. Select the facility and pressing the "cancel demolition" button, if you decide to keep the facility. Construction progress will be kept.
    1. (This needs confirmation) Already completed facilities commodities will not be refunded, and any income that such facility contributed to the weekly System architect payment will be lost.
  7. Any benefits that the facility contributed to the system will also be lost.

More investigation is required on the subject.

Factions

SC is seamlessly connected with the Background Simulation and Powerplay.[37] Colonized systems can influence the political state of the game based on the facilities and Market Economies just like the established Bubble BGS.[40]

During the first build in a Colonized system, the system has only the faction from which the colonisation claim was purchased;[37] this allows the Commander to claim from a preferred faction so that it will be brought over to your system.[36] The player will also automatically bring in their Squadron's faction, so in this way the player can control two choices of the four initial factions (see below). If a different Background Simulation faction conquers the system later, the System Architect remains in control of the system development and resources.[37] The Architect stays the same forever.[34]

The factions that appear when the system is first established are:

  • The controlling faction in the system where the architect placed the claim using a Contact
  • The second-placed faction in that system
  • The faction associated with the architect's Squadron
  • A random Anarchy faction from the claiming system

The founding faction can lose influence in the system, because anyone can enter the system and participate in both BGS and Powerplay gameplay.[36]

In Powerplay, Unpopulated systems are initially unaligned; a newly colonized system will enter the "Unoccupied" Powerplay state once it is fully established. As with any other Unoccupied system, you can then expand your Power's influence using the Acquisition mechanic. Each system has an associated value. Every system is unique to some extent which is represented in system colonisation. This can influence your system of choice.[39]

System colonization is primarily PVE (player versus environment). Players cannot blockade, attack or destroy a colonized system.[34]

Ownership

The controlling minor faction owns the facilities. These are usually NPC-governed populations except if a Player Minor Faction controls it. Some minor factions are allied with a major faction (Alliance, Empire, Federation). The Powers influence and exploit the systems, but don't actually own them. Many ships in a system are owned by a minor faction. Attacking them decreases your reputation with the minor faction. The System Architect places and manages the facilities in a system. The Architect can technically be the owner by allying with a controlling minor faction. The Architect is permanently credited on the System Map.

Expansion

Expanding The Bubble with colonies can have a galaxy wide effect. For example new trade routes for traders, new hubs for explorers that you can use as a home base before going into deep space.[39] By having mini-Bubbles with various economies you can haul goods faster to build new colonies.[37] Long-range colonization in deep space means going back to the Core Systems for goods is a long trip.[36]

Naming facilities

Primary ports must be completed before they can be renamed via the system map. Facilities are named by the existing ED naming system. Without spending Arx, a facility can be renamed using the random-name generator up to 5 times. When renaming with the random-name generator, the architect can generate unlimited random names before clicking Apply or Cancel. The new name is only applied (and counted towards the limit of 5 renames) when the architect clicks Apply. 5000 ARX can be spent for a custom name of a facility with infinite renames.[38] Commander name is displayed in the system.[34]

Rewards

The Architect amasses rewards via a regular credit payment from each system under your control. This is derived from the number and scale of facilities in the star system. These payments are issued weekly and can be redeemed by visiting an Administration contact. The weekly payment value increases when you accumulate more systems. A galactic tax is placed on your earnings if you earn more than 5 million credits.[1] Players also receive a small discount on ships and outfitting when purchased in a system with 10 or more facilities.[1]

Guides

Recommended spreadsheets and guides:

Tools

  • Colony building, economy, and logistics planning. (by Raven Colonial Corporation) - Good for planning a build in a new system. Once you specify a system, it will display the features of each body. Once you've selected the facilities you want to build, it will also show the projected economies at each port and total system statistics for Tech Level, Wealth, Security, and etc. Requires you to give an account name in order to save your work. No password or email address is needed. If you care about security, you might want to use something other than your commander's name.
  • Colonization Construction Details (By DaftMav). reddit post - announcing version 3. This is a spreadsheet with multiple tabs: the most useful tab is probably the Stats tab that shows the economies, points, and statistics for each type of facility. Having all of that info on one screen makes it easy to find which facility fills your next need, e.g. "I want a facility that gives High Tech economy and gives me a T2 point."
  • ED Colonisation Planner - "This is a planner for colonising a system in Elite Dangerous: tell it what you can build (or upload a Journal file and let it estimate that from your scans), pick a goal, and it works out which facilities to build — and in what order — to get there, taking construction points, dependencies, and the escalating cost of building multiple ports into account."
  • ED Colonization Helper by CMDR Mr.Smile - an ED construction tool with carrier and multi-CMDR support.
  • EDColony - a real‑time logistics companion for Elite Dangerous colony construction. It tracks your active depots, totals what’s still needed, and shows exactly how many trips remain based on your ship’s loadout. This tool was created to provide useful real-time information without the need for manual data input.
  • The Canonn Tech Faction Mapping Tool - Search, highlight, explore the size of a faction, overlaid in a 3D moveable map.[44] It shows systems that the faction owns or is merely present.[44] It also shows permit locked zones that are inaccessible for players.[44]

Ships

The recommended ships for colonization have large cargo capacities. This enables hauling vast quantities of commodities and materials to complete facilities.

Ship Name Landing pad size Cargo capacity Jump range Top speed Boost speed SCO-optimized Cost
Anaconda Large 114 t (default)

470 t (max)

 9.66 ly (default)

41.45 ly (upgraded)

 183 m/s (default)

209 m/s (upgraded)

 244 m/s (default)

279 m/s (upgraded)

 No 146,969,450 CR
Beluga Liner Large 44 t (default)

370 t (max)

 10.62 ly (default)

30.09 ly (upgraded)

 197 m/s (default)

230 m/s (upgraded)

 276 m/s (default)

322 m/s (upgraded)

 No 84,532,780 CR
Corsair Medium 48 t (default)

318 t (max)

 12.96 ly (default)

39.58 ly (upgraded)

 288 m/s (default)

325 m/s (upgraded)

 366 m/s (default)

412 m/s (upgraded)

 Yes 79,304,750 CR
Federal Corvette Large 76 t (default)

618 t (max)

 6.31 ly (default)

21.15 ly (upgraded)

 198 m/s (default)

232 m/s (upgraded)

 257 m/s (default)

302 m/s (upgraded)

 No 187,969,450 CR
Imperial Cutter Large 164 t (default)

794 t (max)

 8.21 ly (default)

25.70 ly (upgraded)

 202 m/s (default)

232 m/s (upgraded)

 323 m/s (default)

372 m/s (upgraded)

 No 208,969,451 CR
Panther Clipper Mk II Large 192 t (default)

1238 t (max)

 12.52 ly (default)

25.71 ly (upgraded)

 182 m/s (default)

206 m/s (upgraded)

 252 m/s (default)

286 m/s (upgraded)

 Yes 301,388,902 CR
Type-8 Transporter Medium 176 t (default)

406 t (max)

 23.42 ly (default)

29.37 ly (upgraded)

 201 m/s (default)

228 m/s (upgraded)

 342 m/s (default)

387 m/s (upgraded)

 Yes 38,453,970 CR
Type-9 Heavy Large 348 t (default)

790 t (max)

 9.15 ly (default)

22.12 ly (upgraded)

 132 m/s (default)

151 m/s (upgraded)

 202 m/s (default)

232 m/s (upgraded)

 No 76,555,842 CR
Type-10 Defender Large 220 t (default)

534 t (max)

 6.98 ly (default)

25.75 ly (upgraded)

 179 m/s (default)

200 m/s (upgraded)

 219 m/s (default)

245 m/s (upgraded)

 No 124,755,342 CR

Squadrons

These are notable squadrons that coordinate system colonization and large-scale infrastructure projects. In alphabetic order:

Squadron name Description
Anti-Xeno Initiative AXI completed the construction of its headquarters system via colonization in Pleiades Sector MI-S b4-0. Anyone can support general BGS and system colonization efforts, though specialized operations are coordinated directly through the Anti-Xeno Initiative Squadron.
Canonn Research Group CRG helps players expand human presence by establishing and colonizing new star systems from existing Canonn-controlled faction bases. Detailed guides and land-grab tracking are coordinated via the Canonn Colonisation Resources page and community channels.
Mercs of Mikuun The first player group in Elite Dangerous to successfully colonize a system and receive a station through a historic Community Goal in 2015. They proved that player actions within the Background Simulation (BGS) could permanently alter the galaxy map. Their massive BGS effort convinced the developers to reward them with an official player-backed faction system and station. They help chart and support accessible systems along deep-space colony bridges.
Operation Ida Operation Ida has expanded its heavy hauling and logistics coordination services to support player system colonization. Operation Ida acts as an independent player-run logistics faction that helps coordinate mass commodity and material transport. System architects can request assistance for building their new systems through a dedicated submission form found on the official Operation Ida website.
Project Akivili They are dedicated to helping commanders with system colonization such as material deliveries. freight coordination, and community support. This reduces the heavy grind of solo players.
Project Galtea Project Galtea is an ambitious, player-driven long-distance system colonization initiative designed to build deep-space infrastructure and expand humanity's reach far beyond the bubble. Project Galtea launched the "Ridorana" Super Hub in the Norma Expanse and later brought the "Balfonheim" Super Hub online to support heavy colonization efforts.
Pilots Trade Network (PTN) PTN is a major organization that coordinates haulers, resource supply runs, logistics, and helps players fund or build out new colonies. They help organize fleet carriers and supply chains to move goods efficiently.
Raven Colonial Corporation A prominent community tool and resource platform for system colonization. They provide build planning, haul tracking, and live overlays. Their player squadron, the Raven Colonial Corporation Navy, uses fleet carriers to transport cargo, supplies, and security for new colonizations.
Stellar Exobiologists' Guild The Stellar Exobiologists' Guild runs the OASIS Initiative (Orion Alliance of Settlers & Independent Systems) to provide permanent, fully serviced fleet carriers ("oases") in deep space to help commanders explore, survey, and colonize distant regions without constantly returning to the bubble.
System Colonisation Contractors (SCCN) SCCN connects system owners with fleet carrier operators and haulers to assist with colony expansion and station building. End-to-End Hauling. They provide logistics and space trucking outsourcing for heavy resource grinding. The group features a Rapid Response Corps that helps commanders get their initial primary ports or outposts started.
The Water Bubble This squadron builds The Water Bubble, a 24 ly cluster spinward of Sol, to create a dense constellation on the frontier rivaling the population of any core system. They coordinate hauling, scouting, defense, and BGS in a transparent, inclusive way. They welcome veterans and new players alike to create a thriving and influential player-built region that will outlive its founders and serve the wider galaxy.

Development

Since 2019, there was speculation about a new feature such as Base Building. System Colonisation was unveiled during the Frontier Unlocked #10 livestream on 30 October 2024.[33][39] Frontier's Arthur Tolmie said in Frontier Unlocked #1 (January 2024) that this new feature will be released "this year".[45] While revealed as a colonisation feature late in the year, the update was ultimately delayed until early 2025 after the Cobra Mk V update and the conclusion of the Thargoid war.[36]

Beta

The Trailblazers update featuring the System Colonisation beta was released on 26 February 2025.[3] What you do during the beta stays in-game.[34] Frontier will check that it works correctly, including the tools, make adjustments while gathering data and feedback from players.[36] During the beta, you can only start from the Bubble and expand from the systems.[34]

Release

On 4 November 2025 Frontier announced the exit of the System Colonisation mechanic from beta status.[46] This occurred on 11 November 2025 with the release of the v4.2.2.0 Dodec Update of ED: Odyssey.[4]

Videos

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 System Colonisation Guide - Elite Dangerous News - 28 Feburary 2025
  2. 1 2 System Colonisation - Elite Dangerous, Facebook Page - 30 October 2024
  3. 1 2 Elite Dangerous | Trailblazers - ED website - 26 Feb 2025
  4. 1 2 Elite Dangerous: Dodec Update v4.2.2.0 - Elite: Dangerous website - 11 November 2025
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 16 February 2026 - YouTube
  6. 1 2 Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 16 February 2026 - YouTube
  7. ↑ "The System Colonisation Beta begins February 26 with the Trailblazers update!" - @EliteDangerous - 25 Feb 2025 - X
  8. 1 2 3 Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 16 February 2026 - YouTube
  9. ↑ Trailblazer Fleet Deployed to Support Colonisation Initiatives - Galnet - Elite Dangerous - 19 March 2025
  10. ↑ Trailblazer Fleet To Be Withdrawn - 4 November 3311 - Galnet News - 4 November 2025
  11. ↑ Trailblazer Fleet Withdrawn, Dodec Starport Revealed - 11 November 3311 - Galnet News - 11 November 2025
  12. ↑ Elite Dangerous: Dodec Update v4.2.2.0 - Elite: Dangerous website - 11 November 2025
  13. 1 2 3 4 Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 16 February 2026 - YouTube
  14. 1 2 Elite Dangerous Colonisation Update 3312-08-27 - Going North - CMDR Precambrian Mollusc - YouTube
  15. 1 2 The Dukes of Mikunn are first to hit 1000 controlled Systems - WaltKerman - Reddit - 1 April 2025
  16. ↑ Elite Dangerous Colonisation Update 3312-09-24 - Where you been? - CMDR Precambrian Mollusc - 25 Sep 2026
  17. 1 2 Elite Dangerous Colonisation Update 3312-08-27 - Going North - CMDR Precambrian Mollusc - YouTube
  18. 1 2 3 4 Elite Dangerous Colonisation Update 3312-09-24 - Where you been? - CMDR Precambrian Mollusc - 25 Sep 2026
  19. 1 2 3 4 The Grand Tiberian Highway – Bubble to Sag A* (Official Hub Thread) - 24 October 2026 - Elite Dangerous
  20. ↑ The Lagoon Nebula Highway MegaProject - WaltKerman - 4 March 2025 - Reddit
  21. 1 2 3 4 The Grand Tiberian Highway – Bubble to Sag A* (Official Hub Thread) - 24 October 2026 - Elite Dangerous
  22. ↑ Elite Dangerous Colonisation Update 3312-09-24 - Where you been? - CMDR Precambrian Mollusc - 25 Sep 2026
  23. 1 2 Omega Nebula Now Open to the Community - Walt Kerman - 6 Jan 2026 - Frontier Forums
  24. 1 2 3 4 Omega Nebula Now Open to the Community - Walt Kerman - 6 Jan 2026 - Frontier Forums
  25. 1 2 The Grand Tiberian Highway – Bubble to Sag A* (Official Hub Thread) - 24 October 2026 - Elite Dangerous
  26. 1 2 Elite Dangerous Colonisation Update 3312-09-24 - Where you been? - CMDR Precambrian Mollusc - 25 Sep 2026
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 While building a highway to the core, Mikunn became the first faction to reach 1 Trillion Residents - WaltKerman - Elite Dangerous - 24 October 2026
  28. ↑ Factions Report - INARA - 24 October 2026
  29. 1 2 New Era of System Colonisation Hailed a Success - Galnet - 13 MAR 3311
  30. 1 2 Trailblazers Stats Update - 4 Oct 2025 - Elite Dangerous Facebook Page
  31. 1 2 3 Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 4 November 2025 - YouTube
  32. 1 2 3 elitedangerous - Instagram - 17 Feb 2026
  33. 1 2 New Colonisation Mechanic First Look - DPSS - Elite Dangerous Squadron - 30 October 2024
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Frontier Unwrapped 🎄 | Planet Coaster 2, Elite Dangerous news and more from Planet Zoo! - 19 Dec 2024 - YouTube
  35. ↑ https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/system-colonisation-guide
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Elite Dangerous | Frontier Unlocked Highlight | System Colonisation - YouTube - 27 Nov 2024
  37. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 New Colonisation Mechanic First Look - DPPS - 27 November 3310
  38. 1 2 3 4 Trailblazers Update Brings NEW Exploration Opportunities - Ricardos Gaming - 3 Mar 2025
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Frontier Unlocked #10 - Twitch - 30 October 2024
  40. 1 2 3 Elite Dangerous will let players colonize the Milky Way in 2025 - Polygon - 31 Oct 2024
  41. ↑ ELITE DANGEROUS - Colonization In-Depth Look - Commander Exorcist - YouTube - 27 Nov 2024
  42. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Type-II Prospector Update 2 - Update Notes - Elite Dangerous - 16 October 2025
  43. ↑ https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/elite-dangerous-colonisation-facilities-markets.635519/
  44. 1 2 3 NEWS Elite Dangerous: View Your Faction in 3D Space, Fed NPC Kestrels & More! - The Buurpit - Youtube - 13 Mar 2026
  45. ↑ Frontier Unlocked #1 - 31 Jan 2024 - Twitch
  46. ↑ Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 4 November 2025 - YouTube - 4 November 2025

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