Components and Tools

Components and Tools Overview

All components in Space Engineers are based on either the Large Block or Small Block. Large Blocks are 2.5 meters square and small blocks are .5 meters square. Each components size is one or more blocks. The following blocks and tools are available in the current Alpha build of Space Engineers.

Block	Icon	Status	Category	Small Ship	Large Ship	Station	Mass (Small/Large/Station)	Description
Antenna	File:Antenna-icon.jpg	Not Functional	Functional Component	✔	✔	✔	12 Kg / 4761 Kg / -	No Information
Assembler	File:Assembler-icon.jpg	Functional	Self-Contained Facility		✔	✔	- / 20 Kg / -	Turns harvested ore into items
Automatic Rifle	File:Automatic-rifle-icon.jpg	Functional	Defense				3 Kg / - / -	Used in man to man combat. Possibly uses 5.56x45mm NATO magazine.
Cargo Container, Large	File:Large-cargo-container-icon.jpg	Functional	Storage	✔	✔	✔	363 Kg / 4729 Kg / -	3x3x3 (Lrg ship / station) or 5x5x5 (Sml ship) container used for storing items. Internal space unlimited in Alpha.
Cargo Container, Medium	File:Medium-cargo-container-icon.jpg	Functional	Storage	✔			172 Kg / - / -	3x3x3 (Sml ships only) container used for storing items. Internal space unlimited in Alpha.
Cargo Container, Small	File:Small-cargo-container-icon.jpg	Functional	Storage	✔	✔	✔	38 Kg / 832 Kg / -	This containers size is equivalent to 1 block (sml & lrg). Internal space unlimited in Alpha
Cockpit	File:Cockpit-icon.jpg	Functional	Ship Component	✔	✔	✔	635 Kg / 484 Kg / -	Used to control a vessel
Conveyor Belt	File:Conveyor-icon.jpg	Not Functional	Functional Component	✔	✔	✔	76 Kg / 1685 Kg / -	No Information
Door	File:Door-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 652 Kg / -	Can be used via the control panel
Drill	File:Drill-icon.jpg	Functional	Ship Component	✔			848 Kg / - / -	Used to Harvest Ore, or just creating tunnels. Consists of a rotory tri-cone type drill head with rear motor / storage area. 5x3x1 (Sml block) in size.
Warhead	File:Warhead-icon.jpg	Functional	Defense	✔	✔	✔	- / 20 Kg / -	Explodes on contact or when fired upon. Explosion Radius depends on size of warhead.)
Gatling Gun	File:Gatling-gun-icon.jpg	Functional	Defense	✔			112 Kg / - / -	Rapid firing three-barreled rotory cannon for small ships only. Possibly uses 25x184mm NATO ammo container.
Gatling Turret	File:Gatling-turret-icon.jpg	Not Functional	Defense		✔	✔	- / 787 Kg / -	Rapid firing six-barreled rotary cannon on rotating turret base for large ships and stations only. Possibly uses 25x184mm NATO ammo container.
Gravity Generator	File:Gravity-generator-icon.jpg	Functional	Functional Component		✔	✔	- / 8460 Kg / -	Creates a sphere of gravity with a radius of 150 meters centered at the center of the generator. (30 Lrg blocks or 150 Sml blocks) of which the gravity direction is determined by the block face the bottom of the generator is placed on.
Grinder	File:Grinder-icon.jpg	Not Functional	Tools				3 Kg / - / -	Used to destroy placed tiles in normal mode
Gyroscope	File:Gyroscope-icon.jpg	Functional	Functional Component	✔	✔	✔	589 Kg / 18445 Kg / -	Provides rotation stabilization for ships and stations(?)
Hand Drill	File:Hand-drill-icon.jpg	Functional	Tools				22 Kg / - / -	A Hand-held pneumatic drill (at least in appearance) used as an early means of acquiring resources or as a more precise way of modifying terrain.
Interior Light	File:Interior-light-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 0 Kg / -	Provides a small amount of light.
Interior Pillar	File:Interior-pillar-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 300 Kg / -	No Information
Interior Turret	File:Interior-turret-icon.jpg	Not Functional	Defense		✔	✔	- / 358 Kg / -	No Information
Interior Wall	File:Interior-wall-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 1000 Kg / -	A charcoal or black colored interior block with dimly lit sides and floor,
Passage block	File:Ladder-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 1200 Kg / -	An enclosed passage assembly with top, bottom and one side open for access.
Landing Gear	File:Landing-gear-icon.jpg	Functional	Ship Component	✔	✔	✔	65 Kg / 2252 Kg / -	Add to the bottom of ships to prevent damage while landing and to enable docking. It has color-changing stripe around it; Black = cannot be magnetized. Yellow = Press P to magnetize and stick to nearby surface. Green = Magnetized. Can be used to carry other ships.
Light Armor Block	File:Light-armor-block-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural	✔	✔	✔	200 Kg / 500 Kg / -	Armor blocks can be customized with different colours. In creative mode, select the armor block and use the left or right bracket keys [ ] to change colour. On small ships the Light Armor Block is 1/2 a meter square. On large ships or stations the block is 2 1/2 meters square.
Light Armor Corner	File:Light-armor-corner-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural	✔	✔	✔	33 Kg / 13 Kg / -	Armor blocks can be customized with different colours. In creative mode, select the armor block and use the left or right bracket keys [ ] to change colour.
Light Armor Inverted Corner	File:Light-armor-inv-corner-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural	✔	✔	✔	166 Kg / 349 Kg / -	Armor blocks can be customized with different colours. In creative mode, select the armor block and use the left or right bracket keys [ ] to change colour.
Light Armor Slope	File:Light-armor-slope-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural	✔	✔	✔	100 Kg / 130 Kg / -	Armor blocks can be customized with different colours. In creative mode, select the armor block and use the left or right bracket keys [ ] to change colour.
Heavy Armor Block		Functional	Structural	✔	✔	✔	120 Kg / 3000 Kg / -	A stronger type of armor block, it weighs less than Light Armor on small ships, and more than Light Armor on large ships and stations. It has a camouflage pattern in addition to the paneling lines. The Heavy Armor Block is 1/2 a meter square. On large ships or stations the block is 2 1/2 meters square.
Heavy Armor Corner		Functional	Structural	✔	✔	✔	20 Kg / 83 Kg / -	A stronger type of armor block, it weighs less than Light Armor on small ships, and more than Light Armor on large ships and stations. It has a camouflage pattern in addition to the paneling lines. The Heavy Armor Block is 1/2 a meter square. On large ships or stations the block is 2 1/2 meters square.
Heavy Armor Inverted Corner		Functional	Structural	✔	✔	✔	83 Kg / 2082 Kg / -	A stronger type of armor block, it weighs less than Light Armor on small ships, and more than Light Armor on large ships and stations. It has a camouflage pattern in addition to the paneling lines. The Heavy Armor Block is 1/2 a meter square. On large ships or stations the block is 2 1/2 meters square.
Heavy Armor Slope		Functional	Structural	✔	✔	✔	30 Kg / 750 Kg / -	A stronger type of armor block, it weighs less than Light Armor on small ships, and more than Light Armor on large ships and stations. It has a camouflage pattern in addition to the paneling lines. The Heavy Armor Block is 1/2 a meter square. On large ships or stations the block is 2 1/2 meters square.
Medical Room	File:Medical-room-icon.jpg	Not Functional	Self-Contained Facility		✔	✔	- / 6055 Kg / -	Used for " re-spawn and regeneration"
Missile Turret	File:Missle-turret-icon.jpg	Not Functional	Defense		✔	✔	- / 1064 Kg / -	Six-tubed launcher on a rotating turret base. For large ships and stations only. Possibly uses 200mm missile container
Ore Detector	File:Ore-detector-icon.jpg	Not Functional	Functional Component	✔	✔	✔	20 Kg / 20 Kg / -	No Information
Ramp	File:Ramp-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 900 Kg / -	No Information
Reactor, Large	File:Large-reactor-icon.jpg	Functional	Energy Source	✔	✔	✔	2716 Kg / 72055 Kg / -	Energy source (requires fuel).
Reactor, Small	File:Small-reactor-icon.jpg	Functional	Energy Source	✔	✔	✔	118 Kg / 4721 Kg / -	Energy source (requires fuel).
Refinery	File:Refinery-icon.jpg	Functional	Self-Contained Facility		✔	✔	- / 24968 Kg / -	Used to process harvested ore to ingots.
Rocket Launcher	File:Rocket-launcher-icon.jpg	Functional	Defense	✔			208 Kg / - / -	Four-tubed launcher which fires rockets used to destroy asteroids or other ships. Possibly uses 200mm missile container
Rotor	File:Motor-icon.jpg	Functional	Ship Component	✔	✔	✔	67 Kg / 67 Kg / -	Rotates attached blocks. Rotors are controlled in the Control Panel tab in the Terminal.
Spotlight	File:Reflector-lightt-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural	✔	✔	✔	38 Kg / 700 Kg / -	No Information
Stairs	File:Stairs-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 1100 Kg / -	No Information
Steel Catwalk	File:Steel-catwalk-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 270 Kg / -	No Information
Thruster, Large	File:Large-thrust-icon.jpg	Functional	Ship Component	✔	✔	✔	721 Kg / 43212 Kg / -	A large thruster
Thruster, Small	File:Small-thrust-icon.jpg	Functional	Ship Component	✔	✔	✔	93 Kg / 3384 Kg / -	A small Thruster
Wall, Full Cover	File:Full-cover-wall-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 160 Kg / -	No Information
Wall, Half-Cover	File:Half-cover-wall-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 88 Kg / -	No Information
Window, Diagonal	File:Diagonal-window-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 279 Kg / -	No Information
Window, Vertical	File:Vertical-window-icon.jpg	Functional	Structural		✔	✔	- / 200 Kg / -	No Information
Welder	File:Welder-icon.jpg	Not Functional	Tools				5 Kg / - / -	Your main tool used for assembling blocks and repairing. Damaged layers can be repaired by replacing components in those layers (e.g. if a turret is damaged and its integrity decreases to 80%, you most likely have to only replace the first few layers of steel plate).

Selected Component Details

Thrusters

Thrusters for both small and large ships require reactor energy and apply two different kinds of thrust. A thruster applies its maximum thrust while stabilizing and only 2/3 of the maximum thrust when the pilot uses W, A, S, D, or any other means of maneuvering. This means a ship will stabilize faster if the pilot does not activate any maneuvering controls.

Small Ships

Small Ship Thruster Characteristics
		Force (N)	Power (GW)	Mass (Kg)
Small Thruster	Max	18,165	2.52	93
	Maneuvering	12,110	1.68
Large Thruster	Max	218,250	30	721
	Maneuvering	145,500	20

Large Ships

Large Ship Thruster Characteristics
		Force (N)	Power (GW)	Mass (Kg)
Small Thruster	Max	150,660	42	3384
	Maneuvering	100,440	28
Large Thruster	Max	1,815,000	504	43212
	Maneuvering	1,210,000	336

Reactors

Ship reactors output different amounts of power depending on reactor and ship size. Thrusters, gyroscopes, gravity generators and motors are currently the only functional components which require reactor power to operate. Note that gyroscopes, gravity generators and motors require negligible power relative to thrusters.

Reactor Power Output
		Power (GW)
Small Ship	Small Reactor	4
	Large Reactor	108
Large Ship	Small Reactor	56
	Large Reactor	1512

Tips for Planning Ship Thruster-Reactor Systems

In order to avoid overusing your ship's reactors, use enough reactors to supply all of your ship's thruster's maximum power consumption.

Take the number of small and large thrusters and multiply them by their respective maximum power (GW). This is the minimum amount of power your ship's reactors need to supply.

For example, if there is a large ship with 4 large thrusters and 6 small thrusters, the maximum required power would be (4*504) + (6*42) = 2268 GW. This ship would therefore require 2 large reactors (2*1512 = 3024 GW) in order to ideally operate.

Landing Gear

Landing gears allow a ship to latch onto another object. They are particularly useful when docking small ships on larger carrier ships. However, when the larger ship maneuvers (especially in pitch and yaw) there is a common issue where the smaller ship's landing gear will break due to a collision error.

In order to avoid this issue, ensure that the landing gear is not in direct contact with the metal of the carrier ship. Instead, slowly move toward the ship and attach them the instant the indicator turns yellow. This will leave some space in between the two ships, and keep the collision error from occurring.