The HUB

The HUB, or "Habitat and Utility Base", is the heart of the factory and the first structure constructed by the Engineer. It is the base of operations. Initially only containing a Craft Bench and the HUB Terminal, it can be upgraded as the Engineer progresses along the Milestones in Tier 0. The completed HUB will, ultimately, contain 2 attached biomass burners, the M.A.M and a Dropship. All the living quarter amnities but one (the M.A.M.) are, as of early access edition, mere decorations (i.e. bunkbeds, toilets, cupboards, operation SCADA-HMI terminal desk).

The HUB also functions as the Engineers' respawn point and as their main progression tool, with the provided HUB Terminal allowing engineers to advance through several tiers of milestones (Tier 0 to Tier 6 became available with Early Access Release - v0.1 - CL 95718, Tier 7 is planned to debut at the end of June with Update 2).

HUB Terminal
The HUB Terminal is the place where engineers select tier milestones and turn in the materials required to complete any active Milestones. There are currently 8 tiers for the Engineer to progress through: Tier 0 to Tier 7.

Note that you can select a Milestone, just turn in a part of the required materials, select another milestone and do the same without finishing the milestone right away, then focus on producing more advanced components. In doing so, the HUB Terminal will keep the already delivered parts for when you'll want to complete any previously partly fulfilled tasks. This can be useful in early game when storage space is limited.


 * Continue reading: Milestones

Attached Biomass Burners

 * 1) The first biomass burner is available at Tier 0: HUB Upgrade 2. Do take note the Power Pole is unlocked at Tier 0: HUB Upgrade 3 which allows multiple connections.
 * 2) The second biomass burner is available at Tier 0: HUB Upgrade 4.

The Engineer could build additional stand-alone Biomass Burners at Tier 0: HUB Upgrade 5.

M.A.M.
The M.A.M., or Molecular Analysis Machine is unlocked at Tier 0: Hub Upgrade 5. It is used to break down matter for analysis and send the data back to earth in order to complete research. The M.A.M. is added to the HUB after completing the Tier 0 milestone "Hub Upgrade 5". In multiplayer, the M.A.M. UI can only be accessed by 1 engineer at a time. The M.A.M can be deconstructed separately from the Hub, implying that you may be able to make more in future updates.


 * Continue reading: Research

Dropship
The Dropship is unlocked at Tier 0: Hub Upgrade 5. Right after being unlocked, it will descend from space and dock at the HUB where it will wait to be launched into the space upon milestone completion, and will return to the HUB after some time. The Dropship countdown counters can be found on the top right of the Engineers' main screen and in the HUB Terminal.

Building and Relocation
The HUB is the first unlocked building and it must be built before other buildings become available. In a multiplayer game, all players share the same HUB. Any HUB (main or secondary) can be dismantled and rebuilt to allow relocation. Dismantling a HUB refunds it's resource:. A rebuilt HUB will retain all upgrades, Milestones and MAM researches.

Trivia

 * During the Dropship launch, it is possible for the Engineer to stand on it and be slingshot to a very high altitude, from which the Engineer will be able to see the entire map. Deaths and game crashes have been reported.
 * The Dropship is able to fly through the foundations built above it, if any.
 * After completion of the launch animation, and prior to descending back down to the HUB, it is possible to see the Dropship hovering distantly in the sky. During the day, it appears as a gray speck (see image below). At night, it is visible as a flickering light approximately the size of a star. It is unclear whether this is intentional (as a representation of the dropship "unloading" its cargo to an orbital FICSIT facility), or simply a graphical glitch. It is also unclear whether this is visible at every graphical setting (initially confirmed on Ultra settings).
 * The Dropship does not appear to despawn while on Milestone cooldown.
 * During the dropship landing, if the engineer stands at the dropship docking position, it is possible to get stuck below the dropship. To escape, dismantle the HUB.
 * You could target the M.A.M with the de-constructor tool. Nothing happens if you actually tried to deconstruct it.

Gallery
Die HUB Le HUB