Factorio progression — research and prerequisites
Base-game 2.0.77 research screens, missing science and machinery prerequisites. General checks and specific stage tables are separated so you can open only needed answers.
Edition: PC Steam base game (app 427520), standard Freeplay: no Space Age, Quality, Elevated Rails or external mods; normal quality and standard research costs. Enemy, pollution and resource settings are addressed separately
Verification scope: Official stable download 2.0.77 checked on 2026-10-04. Numbers and research prioritize official factorio-data tag 2.0.77. Experimental 2.1, old 1.1 and expansion conditions are separate. No executable or individual save was tested
Sources checked: 2026-10-04
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Separate research type from factory status
Open research with T; read prerequisites, trigger and science types. In 2.0, some technologies advance through actions rather than lab packs. Check the selected trigger before adding science chests.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Where to look | What to read | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Incomplete prerequisite | Technology required before the selected one | Return to it and check completion |
| Progress trigger | Science-consuming or action-triggered research? | Check the required action type |
| Lab input | Every required type inside labs, not merely in factory stock | Trace production/transport for the missing type |
| Power and progress | Can the lab operate? | Check its network, then progress with all science present |
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The following panels contain concrete progression answers. Open only the stage needed. Basic handling is in Beginners; speed calculations are in Production.
Answer 2 (spoilers)
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Initial triggers to red and green automation
New base-game 2.0.77 Freeplay at standard costs. Science counts are for that technology alone, not cumulative. Verify products reach the next step as well as completing research.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Milestone | Research / requirement | Materials / equipment | Preparation and action | Completion check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlock steam equipment | Steam power: manufacture 50 iron plates in total | Burner miner, stone furnace and fuel | Smelt iron and check trigger progress | Steam power completes and generation recipes unlock |
| Prepare electrical components | Electronics: manufacture 10 copper plates in total | Copper ore, furnace and fuel | Smelt copper; make cable and electronic circuits | Labs, inserters, small poles and related recipes become available |
| Unlock red science | Automation science pack: after the previous technologies, craft 1 lab | Lab: 10 electronic circuits, 10 gears and 4 belts | Craft/place a lab and connect power | Red science recipe unlocks |
| Move handcrafting into assemblers | Automation: 10 red science | 1 copper plate + 1 gear makes 1 red science | Research in labs; select gears/red science in assembler 1 | Science reaches labs without hand delivery |
| Electrify mining — useful parallel work | Electric mining drill: 25 red science | Power, ore and transport destination | Connect drill electricity, separately from burner equipment | Ore continuously enters the belt |
| Add green science | Logistic science pack: 75 red science | 1 inserter + 1 belt makes 1 green science | Make components separately and supply green science while retaining red production | Both red and green enter labs |
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Holding ingredients does not satisfy manufacturing triggers. Watch the action counter update. Electric mining is useful parallel work, not a compulsory order for every technology.
Answer 3 (spoilers)
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Connect red/green progression to oil and blue science
Blue science needs several branches. Run engines, advanced circuits and sulfur separately, then merge them to identify shortages.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Milestone | Research required | Materials / equipment | Preparation and action | Completion check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare fluids | Fluid handling → oil extraction; oil extraction alone costs 100 each red/green | Oil field, pumpjack, power and pipes | Place a powered pumpjack on oil | Crude oil leaves the pumpjack |
| Start refining | Oil processing: after oil extraction, actually extract crude oil | Refinery and basic oil processing | Select basic processing; connect crude input and petroleum-gas output | 100 crude produces 45 petroleum gas |
| Plastic and advanced circuits | Plastics → advanced circuits | Chemical plant and assembler | 20 petroleum gas + 1 coal makes 2 plastic; 2 electronic circuits + 2 plastic + 4 cable makes 1 advanced circuit | Finished circuits accumulate |
| Make sulfur | Sulfur processing | Chemical plant, water and petroleum gas | 30 water + 30 petroleum gas makes 2 sulfur; connect ports and remove solids | Solid sulfur reaches the belt |
| Make engines | Steel processing and engine | Steel, gears, pipes and assembler | 1 steel + 1 gear + 2 pipes makes 1 engine unit; use an assembler, not handcrafting | Engine units can be removed |
| Unlock and supply blue science | Chemical science pack: advanced circuits and sulfur processing directly required; 75 each red/green | 2 engines + 3 advanced circuits + 1 sulfur makes 2 blue science | Select chemical science and deliver it to labs alongside red/green | All required colors are present and research advances |
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Finding oil or placing a pumpjack is not extraction. Verify output. Basic oil processing cannot directly supply lubricant; the next stage needs another processing recipe.
Answer 4 (spoilers)
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Prepare midgame branches and fluid components
Purple and yellow use separate material chains. Check intermediate supply before heavily expanding either. Research costs remain individual values.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Milestone | Research required | Materials / equipment | Preparation and action | Completion check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use heavy and light oil | Advanced oil processing, after blue science | Crude, water and refinery | Switch recipes and provide outputs for heavy oil, light oil and gas | All outputs have room and processing continues |
| Fluid-using assembly components | Assembler 2, lubricant and electric engine | Lubricant from heavy oil; 1 engine + 2 circuits + 15 lubricant | Select electric engine in assembler 2 or higher and pipe lubricant to its port | Electric engine units are removed |
| Purple science | Production science pack: productivity module, advanced material processing 2 and railway directly required; 100 each red/green/blue | 1 electric furnace + 1 productivity module + 30 rails makes 3 purple science | Manufacture electric furnaces as ingredients, separately from placed furnaces; supply crafted rails too | Purple science reaches labs |
| Processing units and low density structures | Processing unit and low density structure | Processing unit: 20 circuits + 2 advanced circuits + 5 sulfuric acid. Low density structure: 20 copper plates + 2 steel + 5 plastic | Pipe acid to a compatible assembler; diagnose copper and circuit shortages separately | Both finished products accumulate |
| Flying robot frame | Robotics, after electric engines and batteries | 1 electric engine + 2 batteries + 1 steel + 3 circuits makes 1 | Keep lubricant and sulfuric-acid processing destinations separate | Frames can be removed |
| Yellow science | Utility science pack: robotics, processing unit and low density structure directly required; 100 each red/green/blue | 3 low density structures + 2 processing units + 1 frame makes 3 yellow science | Merge the three materials and add output to science transport | All selected-research colors enter the same labs |
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A placed electric furnace does not directly make purple science; the ingredient is the furnace item. This table covers main connections, not every branch or cumulative material cost.
Answer 5 (spoilers)
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Launch the first base-game rocket
Base 2.0.77 without Space Age. Prepare research, buildings, rocket parts and payload separately. Material totals exclude productivity bonuses, factory construction and preceding research.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Milestone | Research / requirement | Materials / equipment | Preparation and action | Completion check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silo research prerequisites | Concrete, rocket fuel, accumulator, solar energy, utility science, speed module 3, productivity module 3 and radar | Red, green, blue, purple and yellow supply | Complete missing direct prerequisites in the tree | Rocket silo research can begin |
| Research the silo | Rocket silo alone: 1000 each red/green/blue/purple/yellow | Powered labs | Supply those five colors; do not add military or space science for this technology | Silo, rocket parts, cargo landing pad and satellite recipes unlock |
| Place buildings | Silo and cargo landing pad | Silo: 1000 steel, 1000 concrete, 100 pipes, 200 processing units and 200 electric engines | Power the silo; separately place a landing pad on the same planet | Buildings and power are ready |
| Prepare the landing pad | Unlocked by silo research | 200 concrete, 25 steel and 10 processing units | Place the landing pad; adjacency to the silo is unnecessary | The planetary landing pad is recognized |
| Build the rocket | 100 parts per rocket | Each part needs 10 processing units, 10 low density structures and 10 rocket fuel | Feed all three materials; without bonuses, each totals 1000 | Assembly completes and awaits launch |
| Load a satellite and launch | Use 1 satellite as payload | Satellite: 100 low density structures, 100 solar panels, 100 accumulators, 5 radars, 100 processing units and 50 rocket fuel | Insert the satellite into the completed rocket and select Launch | First-launch completion screen; continuing gives 1000 space science at the landing pad |
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Rocket fuel uses 10 solid fuel + 10 light oil for 1, with a 15-second base recipe in a compatible assembler. Satellite materials are additional to the 1000 of each rocket-part material. This covers the first base-game milestone, not all achievements, infinite research or expansion planets.
Answer 6 (spoilers)
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Trace back from the blocked stage
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Cause | Missing science / equipment | Return to | Base / expansion difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial recipe unavailable | Unmet action trigger | Meet manufacturing/mining conditions on the research screen | Do not apply 1.1 initial unlock tables to 2.0 |
| Cannot make blue-science engines | Engine research or assembler | Feed steel, gears and pipes into an assembler | Do not substitute handcrafting for machine-only processing |
| No lubricant | Advanced oil processing, lubricant and heavy oil | Refinery recipe and heavy-oil output | Basic processing's gas alone is insufficient |
| Refining stops despite crude supply | Space in advanced-processing outputs | Inspect all three fluids; use surplus or crack it when needed | One full fluid output also matters |
| Only purple or yellow arrives | Every color required by selected research | Find the missing color inside labs and trace its assembler | Space Age has different research stages |
| Rocket will not finish | Three silo materials and power | Feed part-input materials, not the payload slot | Do not use the expansion's lower quantities for the base game |
| Completed rocket will not launch | Landing pad and valid payload | Check the base-game pad and satellite steps | Space Age has separate destination-platform procedures |
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Inspect the blocked machine's slots before rebuilding an entire tier. Prioritize missing lab colors without removing every existing supply at once.
Answer 7 (spoilers)
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Separate 1.1, base 2.0 and Space Age
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Item | Base 2.0.77 | Separate conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Initial / oil research | Includes manufacturing and mining triggers | Old 1.1 science-cost-only routes |
| Rocket materials | Uses processing units | Do not search for the old rocket control unit |
| Silo research and parts | Base: 1000 of five colors and 100 parts | Space Age: 1000 each red/green/blue and 50 parts, with 1 of each material per part |
| Space science | Base: delivered to landing pad after satellite launch | Space Age makes it on platforms; do not apply the base satellite procedure |
| Machine quality / mods | Calculations use normal quality without bonuses | Recalculate for quality, modules, beacons and altered recipes |
| Experimental 2.1 | Outside scope | Research trees and quality effects change; do not apply fixed-version tables unchanged |
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Expansion differences clarify boundaries, not complete platform operations or all-planet progression.
Frequently asked questions
Why does research stop when science exists?
Every required type must enter the same labs. Factory-chest stock is insufficient. Check lab power and selected research too.
Do more labs always research faster?
Only with adequate packs and power. Fix missing science production/transport before adding labs.
Why is no science cost displayed?
This version includes action-triggered technologies. Read the trigger before making more packs. Specific actions are in the closed stage tables.
Why does the same technology need different materials?
Compare base game, Space Age, mods and version. This guide uses base 2.0.77. Open version notes and prioritize the installed recipe/prerequisites.