Settlement

Settlements are on planet surfaces. Unlike Surface Ports, ships and SRVs can only dock at a subset of Settlements, as most 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

Settlementsizeandsecurityratingexample — 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

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

Mining Settlement Hyades Sector DR-V c2-23 A 5 — Dav's Hope, an abandoned mining settlement

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.^[1] Known abandoned Settlements are listed below.^[2]

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
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
Planet Dave Outpost	Col 285 Sector ZT-I b25-0	2 a
The Church of the Path	Shibboleth	2 e		source
Geological Survey 23B	Musca Dark Region PJ-P b6-1	3	11.8593, -38.0070	source
Extraction Site HS-98	Col 285 Sector NP-W a31-3	6 a	35.34, -137.66	source
Serene Harbour	R CrA Sector AF-A d42	3 b	56.42, -8.35	source
Oaken Point	HIP 26176	A 5 i	-10.1658, -58.1277
Fort Asch	HIP 22460	7 C	14.9875, 88.5628

INRA Bases

INRA-base-Taylor-Keep — 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 — 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 87	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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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)

Odyssey Settlements

Settlement in Adityan alpha — A Settlement in Odyssey

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey adds a new type of settlement to planets and moons with thin atmospheres. These settlements feature a variety of functioning building types, such as power plants, factories, and habitats, as well as defence systems to protect against hostile ships. Commanders can enter these settlements at any time or as part of missions, interact with, kill, or avoid the inhabitants, and even steal items. Settlements are controlled by minor factions, with more powerful factions able to field stronger security, and a commander's actions at a settlement can affect a minor faction's standing within the Background Simulation.^[3] Settlements are also the site of Conflict Zones.

Settlements can be found in one of nine states, which affect the activities available there and the presence of colonists and security forces: Active, Abandoned, War, Damaged, Online, Online Damaged, Offline, Offline Damaged, and Conflict Zone. If a commander attacks a populated settlement, the controlling minor faction will dispatch reinforcements, but these are finite; however, a commander who massacres an entire settlement and defeats all reinforcements will face severe consequences. Depopulated settlements will repopulate over time. Anti-ship defences also make aerial attacks on settlements risky unless commanders on the ground disable those defences first. Commanders can also deactivate a settlement's power plant, which can unlock restricted areas that are normally sealed.^[4]

Structures and rooms

Mining settlement Odyssey alpha — A mining settlement

Settlement hydroponics — Inside a hydroponics facility

Settlements contain a variety of structures with specialised interiors, including a command centre, a general living quarters, and production facilities. Each structure contains certain interactive features, as well as Components, Goods, and Data to collect. For example, a commander can sneak into a command centre and grant themselves a legitimate level 3 security authorisation for the entire settlement at one of the terminals, or raid a production facility to steal a requested item for a mission.

Structures are enclosed spaces, and when powered, they offer protection from the heat or cold of a planet's environment when entered; suits also cease expending their oxygen supplies while a commander is indoors. If a settlement structure is damaged and on fire, the fire can be extinguished by finding and deactivating the structure's life support, which will vent the interior's air.

Structure types include:

Agriculture (AGRI) - A facility present in agricultural settlements.
Biological (BIO) - A semi-inflated tent structure, often present in clusters in agricultural settlements.
Command Centre (CMD) - A settlement's administrative hub. Found in all settlement types.
Extraction (EXT) - An ore extraction facility.
Habitat (HAB) - A common area where settlement personnel rest when off-duty.
Industrial (IND) - An industrial manufacturing facility.
Power Centre (PWR) - A settlement's power generation and management building.
Research (RES) - A research facility.
Storage (STO) - A warehouse where containers and equipment are stored.

Room types include:

Corridor (CORR) - Connecting passages within most structure types.
Dormitory (DORM) - A room inside Habitat structures.
Hydroponics (HYD) - A room inside Agriculture structures.
Laboratory (LAB) - A room inside Research facilities.
Medical (MED) - A room that provides medical services.
Operations (OPR) - A room inside Command Centres.
Power (POW) - The restricted room within a Power Centre that contains the settlement's main reactor.
Processing (PROC) - A room found inside Agriculture, Industrial, and Extraction structures.
Security (SEC) - A security control room found inside Command Centres.

Security

In addition to civilian personnel, settlements are protected by guards who actively patrol the grounds and structures, searching for intruders or illicit activities. Settlement guards may ask visitors to submit to a security scan via Profile Analyser. Failing to submit will trigger a security alert, and all guards will shoot the intruder on sight.

Settlements use a security authorisation system to deny access to visitors and infiltrators. Authorisation levels range from 0 to 3, with 0 being the lowest level and granted to a visitor whom the settlement's controlling minor faction is neutral towards, and 3 being the highest level and restricted to the most important personnel. Commanders who are detected inside a structure that they lack the necessary authorisation to access will be tagged as criminals and targeted by guards. However, the same authorisation system applies to settlement personnel: guards will not enter structures if they lack the appropriate authorisation level, even if they witness intruders enter those structures.

Settlements that have been powered down will not have any guards or civilian personnel, but hostile scavengers may be present instead.

Settlement security alarms can be exploited by infiltrators to distract guards and other personnel while carrying out illegal mission objectives. First, locate an alarm in a building away from the objective, then activate it while no personnel are watching and leave the building without being spotted. This may require obtaining security authorisation to enter a restricted building with an alarm; if a cloned authorisation profile is used, be sure to clear it after leaving the restricted building to prevent it from being picked up by any guards making security scans. Next, proceed to the building where the mission objective is located. Any guards normally patrolling the target building will leave to investigate the source of the alarm, and only civilian personnel will remain, which should make it much easier to reach the objective without detection or needing to kill anyone.^[5]

Landing

Settlements have Landing Pads and can accommodate ships, including Apex Interstellar Transport shuttles. The number of Landing Pads available depends on the settlement's type. Tourism settlements are one of the largest settlement types, and have 2 small pads, 1 medium pad, and 1 large pad, while a smaller type like a military settlement may have only 2 small pads.

Be sure to confirm which minor faction is in control of the settlement and stow weapons before approaching it. Landing near a settlement controlled by a hostile minor faction or approaching a settlement with weapons deployed will trigger a response from the settlement's guards and anti-ship defences. This also applies to visitors arriving or departing aboard Apex shuttles.