Today Blue Byte has dropped, or should I say inserted into a stable orbit, the new ‘Orbital’ DLC, along with a free update for everyone. The new items added to the new Orbital station is as follows.

The station itself. Construct a network of connectors and workshops to house your astronauts, balance their different module requirements while keeping optimal temperatures in mind.

Technology Nexus. This will allow scientists you send up to apply new technologies to increase productivity, implement alternate production chains and do work to your combat fleet. This item gives us 50 technologies to discover.

A new building for Earth is the Training Centre that can prepare your biologists, physicists and engineers to be sent into space.

A.D.A.M gets a physical representation for your station, somewhat like Rommie from Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda.

New Achievements have been added specifically for the Orbital station.

Orbital station is now on the strategic map, along with new icons for the Technology Nexus, a button to access this is next to the Stock Market button.

Expertise is now shown in the upper global bar, and Station Expansion Kits are now shown in the Global bar when the Station is the currently loaded sector.

In the free update for everyone there have been some nice additions:

Steam achievements have been added, so you can show off your progress on Steam as well as Uplay.

A new feature called Geo-Engineering has been added. This will allow you to change existing traits for a cost, which follows with new traits you can get as well for new and old corporations. The icon for accessing this is next to the minimap.

Trees will now re-grow in patches of available ground if a building has been destroyed or moved from it.

The Lillypad and Maypole ornaments have been added to add a bit extra to your cities, always remember that greenery is good to keep a healthy mind.

Gameplay settings allow you to increase the maximum camera distance, so you can see more of the map.

Corporation Profiles now show any industry dominance you have achieved.

The Stock Market button has been fixed to go orange when the menu is active.

The bribe distribution for council elections will now penalize the winner of the last voting period.

Transfer route audio notifications has been changed slightly, A.D.A.M won’t pester you every few seconds about insufficient goods, which is a blessing. As well as then other general balancing and bug fixes.

On the official forums, Ubi-Cerisino has given us a lovely overview of what’s in the DLC and also is posting up a story that ties in with what goes on in your new station. Both are worth a read at some point as you wait for your shuttle to arrive.