R&D Department Level 42 is a station mission in Star Trek Fleet Command with one objective: upgrade your R&D Department to level 42. It needs only warp 1 to start and finish, and the game lists a recommended level of 1, so the upgrade is the only real requirement. The reward is 23 100K Dilithium Tokens and 50 8 Hour Speed Ups, and completing it unlocks the next station mission. The speed ups are the part worth planning around.
R&D Department Level 42 objectives
There is a single objective and no choice split:
- Upgrade to R&D Department Level 42.
No system is named, no hostile is listed and nothing is donated. The mission clears when your R&D Department reaches level 42.
Where and what warp
Warp 1 to start, warp 1 to complete, no pickup system. The whole mission happens on your station. The recommended level is listed as 1, but the mission only completes once the level 42 upgrade is built, and that upgrade has its own prerequisites.
What the level 42 upgrade needs
Base values from the game’s building data, before any cost or speed bonuses from research or other buildings:
| Level | Requirements | Main costs | Base build time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Operations 41, Academy 41, Tritanium Vault 36 | 3.51B Parsteel, 12.9M Dilithium, 85,000 4★ Common Refined Gas, 14,000 4★ Uncommon Refined Gas | About 76 days |
| 42 | Operations 42, Academy 42, Defense Platform D 36 | 5.23B Parsteel, 19.2M Dilithium, 4,000 4★ Rare Refined Gas, 14,500 4★ Uncommon Refined Gas | About 116 days |
| 43 | Operations 43, Academy 43, Dilithium Vault 36 | 7.47B Parsteel, 27.5M Dilithium, 3,000 4★ Rare Refined Gas, 16,000 4★ Uncommon Refined Gas | About 154 days |
Level 42 is where 4★ Rare Refined Gas first appears in the cost, in place of the large Common gas bill at level 41. It also asks for Defense Platform D at level 36, so check that platform before you plan the upgrade around Operations 42.
R&D Department Level 42 rewards
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| 100K Dilithium Token | 23 |
| 8 Hour Speed Up | 50 |
Completing the mission also unlocks the next station mission.
How Level 42 compares with later R&D missions
| Mission | 100K Dilithium Tokens | 8 Hour Speed Ups |
|---|---|---|
| R&D Department Level 42 | 23 | 50 |
| R&D Department Level 44 | 50 | 60 |
| R&D Department Level 45 | 70 | 60 |
| R&D Department Level 46 | 80 | 60 |
Twenty-three tokens come to 2.3 million Dilithium, a little over a tenth of the Dilithium that level 42 costs. The 50 speed ups are 400 hours in total, which is roughly 17 days off a timer.
Tips
Line up the prerequisites first. Defense Platform D 36 is the odd one out in the list, and it is easy to miss if you have been focusing on your main buildings.
Put the 8 Hour Speed Ups on the level 43 upgrade. The base build time rises to about 154 days there, so every hour you shave off helps.
This mission follows Defense Platform A Level 41 and leads into Upgrade to Shipyard Level 42.
