Settlement

Settlements are found on planet surfaces. Unlike at surface ports, Ships and SRVs cannot dock in settlements. The settlement does not show up 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, if the faction isn't lawless, issue a fine or bounty.

Locations

These are known locations of settlements.^[1]

"Lookout" military test facility - Aldibah planet 1 A (lat: 12.5 / -62.2) [image]

Medical Test Facility MIR-14 - COL 285 Sector FL-X B17-3 planet A 2 A (lat: -59.3, lon: -142.5) [image]

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

"Orion's Folly" planetary "mining town" - COL 285 SECTOR UZ-O C6-9 planet B6 (lat: -87.04, lon: -10.52) [image]

"Medical Research Base BJI-86" - COL 359 SECTOR RN-S C4-12 planet A 1 (lat: -23.8994, lon: -95.1066) [video]

"Site 16" surface installation - HIP 83237 planet 3 B (lat: -26.40, lon: 143.69) [image]

"Dixon Dock" - HR 2551 planet 2 D (lat: -26.08, lon: -130.82) [image] [image] [video (The Hamilton Incident)]

Research Facility 5592 (abandoned research base featuring a telescope) - HR 5991 planet 1 B (lat 33.47, long -2.17) [image]

"Dav's Hope" planetary mining settlement - Hyades Sector DR-V C2-23 planet A 5 (lat: 44.818, lon: -31.389) [image]

Landable base with biomes ("Earth's Inheritance Wildlife Reserve") - LP 339-7 planet 4 A [image] [image] [image] [image]

Exploration camp C-NO4 - Synuefe JB-G B58-6, planet 6H (lat: -22.13234, lon: 177.70647) [image]

"Colony SN-B 86" - WREDGUIA JC-K C22-8 planet 6 4 (lat: -51.7, lon: -144)

Settlement Size

The Settlement size is indicated by a varying number of + signs, the more +'s the bigger the settlement. A settlement without any + signs is usually only 1 or 2 buildings.

Interactive Objects

There are various interactive objects which can be found in 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 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 Turrets

Defense Turrets are small turrets for ground defense against srv's Defense Turrets can also be anti-air pictured below.

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)

Small Settlements

There are small settlements which don't have interactive objects. Such as the abandoned mining settlement Dav's Hope in the Hyades Sector DR-V c2-23.^[2]