Temperature Uplink / First Contact

Where this sits in the boot chain

First contact is the last step of the opening tutorial chain. Recorded runs go: type boot to bring the station online → the console reports the power grid is offline, so run the power activation → then activate the sensor array. Only then does the objective appear: “Earth needs to verify your instruments are working. Connect to Earth, read temperature and transmit it back.” The sensors report temperature, pressure, and oxygen — and two of them need separate repairs before they work.

Working script

thermo = get_component("thermometer")
value = thermo.get_value()

transmitter = get_component("transmitter")
print(transmitter.connect("Earth"))
transmitter.transmit("current_temperature", value)

The temporary print around the connect call is there for your first run — see “How to prove the link is up” below.

Why this works

• get_component("thermometer") gives you the live temperature source; every component has a name, shown on its info card.
• get_value() reads the current sensor result instead of guessing a number.
• connect("Earth") establishes the uplink for the current script run.
• transmit("current_temperature", value) sends the key/value payload the objective asks for. The key current_temperature is the exact string from the in-game docs.

What the readings look like

Two independent recorded playthroughs both read -63 from the starter thermometer — matching the intro’s stated surface temperature of -63 on the starting planet. Because it is a live reading, treat your own console output as the authority, but -63 is what recorded starters saw.

How to prove the link is up

connect() returns the target’s name as a string when the connection succeeds — a recorded run shows it returning Earth — and a nonsense target simply fails to connect. So the first time you run the script, print the connect result: if you see Earth, the uplink is live. Drop the print once it works.

What confirms success

The in-game docs (recorded on camera) are explicit: transmit() returns none whether the payload lands or not — success is observed via credits changing, not the return value. When first contact completes in the recordings, three things happen at once: the “Achieved first contact” achievement, a 1,000-credit payment, and the shop and biology lab unlocking. If your console shows no errors but nothing unlocked, the payload did not land — recheck the key string and the connect call. The full reward flow feeds directly into the solar generator purchase.

Fix these errors first

“I expected string for key”

The first transmit argument is not a string. Recorded sessions hit this by passing a bare name; use a quoted key such as "current_temperature" or, for a later contract, the contract ID string.

The script reads the temperature but does not finish the objective

Check that the transmitter actually connects to Earth in the same script run before the transmit call — the connection only lives for the current run.

The component cannot be found

Check the exact component names shown in the in-game docs and use Tab autocomplete in the editor. The starter components used on camera are the thermometer and the transmitter.

Evidence and version notes

The pattern, the -63 reading, the Earth connect return, the none-return behavior, and the 1,000-credit reward are from recorded playthroughs (closed testing and public demo builds, September 2026). The Early Access build launched September 9, 2026; if your build’s objective text differs, your build’s docs win. Related pages: the component reference for the thermometer and transmitter rows, and the uplink & contract guide for what the same transmitter does with contract answers.

Related guides

• Component & machine reference — the thermometer and transmitter rows, with the calls and the traps
• Uplink & contract transmission — the transmitter’s second job
• Beginner guide — the whole opening chain in order