We’ve just released version 0.08 of High Frontier, which adds a bunch of new parts for your colony: solar panels, power plant, radiators (including “skirt” style), docking bay, and communications dish. These are currently cosmetic, but will start impacting the simulation soon.
The image above shows the new parts. At the very bottom is the nuclear power plant (which is actually pretty large; it just looks small compared to a space colony!). Above that is a somewhat redundant solar panel, facing the sun on the right, with a radiator facing black sky to the left. Above the habitation torus is a stationary docking station, with enough bays for eight ships at once; and finally a communications dish, pointed at the ground.
Our development road map shows that the next release will simulate power balance — so, those power sources and radiators will suddenly be very important. A small spacecraft loses heat quickly, but a big one (like a colony) holds it in, so without sufficient radiators, it’s going to get toasty in there!
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