Settlement

Guarded Settlement and nebula

Settlements are on planet surfaces. Unlike Surface Ports, ships and SRVs cannot dock at Settlements, as they do not possess any Landing Pads. Settlements do not display in the contacts panel of the HUD.

Settlements can be guarded by Skimmers, anti-SRV turrets, and anti-ship defence turrets. Depending on their security level, they can have no-fly-zones and areas which are off-limits to SRVs. Trespassing in these for too long, accessing private data towers, attacking the defenders, or destroying generators can trigger the settlement defenses and, trigger a fine or bounty if the controlling faction is not lawless.

Generic Settlements

Settlement size and security rating

The vast majority of Settlements, numbering in the thousands, are generic locations with visible navigation markers on the planetary surface view of the System Map. The size of these Settlements is indicated by a varying number of + signs: the more + signs, the bigger the Settlement. A Settlement without any + signs is usually only one or two buildings. Generic Settlements are often selected as target locations for certain types of combat and sabotage missions.

Unique Settlements

Dav's Hope, an abandoned mining settlement

Some Settlements are unique, and distinguished from generic Settlements by several characteristics: they do not initially have markers in the System Map (activating any local data beacons may cause a marker to appear from then on), they rarely have any active automated defenses, they are not used as targets for any missions unless there is a Tourist Beacon integrated into the site, and most have unique data logs. A subset of unique Settlements can be found by following listening posts.

Abandoned Settlements

There are abandoned Settlements which do not have interactive objects apart from recoverable data logs and data beacons. One of the most well-known is the mining settlement Dav's Hope in Hyades Sector DR-V c2-23, where plentiful Manufactured Materials can be salvaged. Known abandoned Settlements are listed below.

Location Name	System	Planet	Surface Coordinates	Notes
Lookout	Aldhibah	1 A	-12.5, -62.2	image
Medical Test Facility MIR-14	Col 285 Sector FL-X b17-3	A 2 A	-59.3, -142.5	image
Exploration Camp JSPR-003	Col 285 Sector OZ-N c7-13	BC 3 A	59.32, -62.22	image
Orion's Folly	Col 285 Sector UZ-O c6-9	B 6	-87.04, -10.52	image
Medical Research Base BJI-86	Col 359 Sector RN-S c4-12	A 1	-23.8994, -95.1066	video
Site 16	HIP 83237	3 B	-26.40, 143.69	image
Dixon Dock	HR 2551	2 D	-26.08, -130.82	image, image, video
Research Facility 5592	HR 5991	1 B	33.47, -2.17	image
Dav's Hope	Hyades Sector DR-V c2-23	A 5	44.818, -31.389	image
Earth's Inheritance Wildlife Reserve	LP 339-7	4 A		image, image, image, image
Exploration Camp C-NO4	Synuefe JB-G b58-6	6 H	-22.13234, 177.70647	image
Colony SN-B 86	Wredguia JC-K c22-8	6 4	-51.7, -144
Crowther's Rest	Nervir	A 2 a	50.50, -17.17	image
Herpin Research Base	Wregoe HV-Z b15-0	C 1	2.7685, 45.9579	source

INRA Bases

INRA base Taylor Keep

The now-defunct Intergalactic Naval Reserve Arm operated from a number of covert bases during the first conflict against the Thargoids in the 32nd century. A number of these bases were rediscovered in late 3303 as new Thargoid incursions occurred in the Pleiades Nebula and Core Systems, and audio logs recovered from the bases shed light on INRA's unethical actions and betrayal of the famed CMDR John Jameson.

Base Name	System	Planet	Surface Coordinates	Role	Notes
Hollis Gateway	Hermitage	4 A	-53.75, 157.61	Thargoid tech research, site of the mycoid discovery	Discovered by CMDRs EfilOne, Yuksarr, Alex Ringess, and Klingsor on October 9, 3303
Stuart Retreat	HIP 15329	A 3 C	-62.61, -44.26	INRA whistleblower's final posting	Discovered by CMDR Syleo on October 15, 3303
Klatt Enterprises	Alnath	A2 A A	4.018, 133.54	Mycoid testing on captured subjects and tech	Discovered by CMDR Isaiah Evanson on October 15, 3303
Mayes Chemical Plant	HIP 59382	1 B	11.41, 177.06	Mycoid production center	Discovered by CMDR EfilOne on October 15, 3303
Hogan Depot	HIP 7158	A 2 B	-44.63, -63.79	Mycoid storage and distribution center	Discovered by CMDR EfilOne on October 15, 3303
Velasquez Medical Research Center	LP 389-95	7	57.96, 50.03	Mycoid vaccine research	Discovered by CMDR Solderkiller on October 16, 3303
Almeida Landing	Conn	A 3 A	73.38, 102.37	Thargoid hyperdrive reverse-engineering	Discovered by CMDR Dadinacactus on November 6, 3303
Carmichael Point	HIP 16824	A 2 F	73.87, 61.87	Anti-Thargoid weapons testing	Discovered by CMDR Dadinacactus on November 7, 3303
Stack	HIP 12099	1 A	-72.62, -67.52	Experimentation on Thargoid specimens	Discovered by CMDR Dutch Foster on November 24, 3303
Taylor Keep	12 Trianguli	A 1	-51.57, 130.66	Final mycoid deployment site	Discovered by CMDR Phoebia on November 25, 3303

Thargoid Attack Sites

Thargoid Attacked Settlement Scrump Landing

Since June 28, 3304, independent pilots have found a number of abandoned settlements that had been attacked by Thargoid forces. While some of the settlements managed to evacuate before they were attacked, others were not so lucky. Recovered logs indicate that some survivors may have been abducted by the Thargoids.

Location Name	System	Planet	Surface Coordinates	Description	Notes
The Bug Killer	HIP 16613	1 a	-11.00, -95.67	Crash site of a Thargoid-hunting Anaconda	Discovered on June 28, 3304
Dominic's Corner	Pleiades Sector GW-W c1-15	12 a	5.55, -115.69	Factory contracted by Aegis to produce AX weapons	Discovered on June 28, 3304
Scrump Landing	Pleiades Sector JN-S b4-3	2	-0.34, 12.92	Scrapyard and trading post	Discovered on June 28, 3304
Sharpe Works	Pleiades Sector IC-U b3-1	1	-4.95, -85.7	Independent colony	Discovered on June 28, 3304
Site 94	HIP 19284	A 2 d	-19.06, -99.45	Mining operation that unearthed an "alien monument", possibly Thargoid tech	Discovered on June 28, 3304
Betterton Outpost	HIP 19792	C 2	-24.70, 6.55	Independent colony	Discovered on June 29, 3304
Penal Colony BV-2259	HIP 16217	AB 1 a	-54.99, 30.33	Penitentiary	Discovered on June 29, 3304
Comms Facility 89563	HR 1172	A 5 b	-0.25, -67.67	Military outpost	Discovered on June 29, 3304
Research Base LV 8	HIP 17403	A 4 a	-51.19, 14.21	Research center studying a Thargoid Probe	Discovered on June 29, 3304
Research Base KG-3362	Pleiades Sector HR-W d1-17	1 a	58.11, 19.45	Agricultural research center	Discovered on June 29, 3304
The Prophet	Etain	4 c		Far God cult compound	Discovered on August 30, 3304
The Sanctum	Etain	4 a		Far God cult compound	Discovered on August 30, 3304

Interactive Objects

There are various interactive objects which can be found at both unique and generic Settlements:

• Data points can be scanned with a Data Link Scanner for intel packages, which can be handed over to a Major Faction for credits.
• Data towers control and monitor various functions of the settlement and can be accessed with a Data Link Scanner.
• Generators power various functions of the settlement and can be destroyed.

Guarded Settlement

Data Point at a Settlement

Data Tower

Settlement Generator

Settlement Missions

Missions can feature generic Settlements as targets, and ask for a specific data tower to be accessed or a specific generator to be destroyed. The official Settlements - Elite Dangerous: Horizons Pilot Training video has a detailed explanation.

For example pirate factions give Destroy the Generator missions where the commander must destroy a defense system power supply.

Guide

For Power Generator missions it says you need an SRV, but you don't necessarily need to use it. Scout the area with your ship until you find the lone generator or the multiple generators. Once you find it, make sure your ship has dumbfire missiles outfitted. Get close enough so the anti-air guns don't shoot it out and fire the missile. You will get the mission complete status.

It's honestly that simple. Scouting in your ship allows you to get in and out before the trespass alarm sounds off. Missiles are easy, quick ways to take out the generator in one go. They also don't use any WEP pips. Just approach with 4 in SYS and 2 in ENG. You will need the shield defense, but you won't need to stay in there for long if you get the first shot off onto the generator. The alarm doesn't go off when the missile fires, it goes off when the missile destroys the generator.

Defense System Power Supply

These are generators that can power many different buildings such as weapon batteries or comms dishes. They can be disabled by firing at them. They don’t appear on your sensors until you're relatively close. So they can sometimes be tricky to locate. There are normally several and you need to take out the right one.

Defense system power supply

Defence Turrets

Some Settlements are guarded by several Defence Turrets of varying sizes; both small anti-vehicle turrets and large anti-starship batteries.

Small anti-ground turrets are kinetic-based, whilst the standard anti-ship batteries are pulse or burst lasers. The largest anti-ship batteries are heavy kinetic cannons.

Ground based defense turret, anti-SRV version

Ground based defense turret, anti-ship version

Ground based defense turret, large anti-ship battery

A Defense Platform is a large turret for air defense. Sensor range before trespassing warning at low security is 728m. Sensor range before trespassing warning at medium security is 1.6km for ships However this distance depends on where the defense platforms are placed.

Proximity Sensors

Settlements with medium or higher security ratings have proximity sensors. Proximity sensor placement is based on both the population rating and the Security rating. Some Settlements have no proximity sensors.

		+	++	+++
Low Security	?	?	?	?
Medium Security	700m	?	none or ?	?
High Security	990m	?	?	1.7km-1.75km

Proximity Sensor

Force Fields and Gates

Force Fields block both ground vehicles and bullets. They often block ramps and can be disabled by destroying a nearby generator. Some high security settlements will have gates that close on you if you enter a restricted area.

Force Field Security Barrier

Settlement Gate

Turret Security Terminal

Some missions will ask you to destroy a generator attached to a turret under the transaction tab but, you actually have to scan a Turret Security Terminal (Horizons 2.01)

Turret Security Terminal

Gallery

Guarded Settlement and Nebula

Guarded Settlement

Dixon Dock - HR 2551 planet 2 D

Exploration Camp JSPR-003 - COL 285 SECTOR OZ-N C7-13 planet BC 3 A (lat: 59.32, lon: -62.22)

Mining Settlement Hyades Sector DR-V c2-23 A 5

Small settlement

Small settlement and a Python

Small Settlement and Sidewinder

Penal Colony BV-2259 after a Thargoid attack

Settlement and a Diamondback Explorer