Factorio 2.1.21 Calculates Space-Platform Drag From Mass

In Friday Facts #448, Wube describes two changes for Factorio 2.1.21: a new calculation for platform drag and adjusted asteroid damage.

Mass Replaces Width in the Drag Term

CodeGreen explains in Wube’s blog post that the formula in version 2.1.21 uses (weight / 200)^b instead of width * 0.5. He and V453000 settled on the final values; they chose 0.8 for b. The change affects the drag component of the acceleration formula. CodeGreen explains that each additional platform tile has the same effect on drag, wherever you build it.

Asteroid Damage: Health and Stationary Platforms

For medium asteroids in version 2.1.21, Wube reports 2000 damage to a moving platform and 100 to a stationary one. Wube also explains that damage in 2.1 depends on the asteroid’s remaining health. Shooting and damaging it before impact reduces the damage it can deal to your platform. Its visible health bar shows how much damage it has already taken.

In the blog post published on October 9, 2026, CodeGreen wrote that Factorio 2.1 was in its experimental phase at that time.

For the full game, Wube lists 2.1.21 as experimental and 2.0.77 as stable on October 14, 2026. The demo remains on 2.0.77.