R&D Department Level 57 is a late-game station mission in Star Trek Fleet Command with one objective: upgrade your R&D Department to level 57. It needs only warp 1 to start and finish, and its recommended level is 57, matching the building level it asks for. The reward is 800 Ultra Recruit Tokens, and completing it unlocks the next station mission. The upgrade itself is the whole challenge, since its base build time runs to years.
R&D Department Level 57 objectives
There is a single objective and no choice split:
- Upgrade to R&D Department Level 57.
No system is named, no hostile is listed and nothing is donated. The mission clears when your R&D Department reaches level 57.
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 57, and in practice you need Operations 57 before the upgrade can even begin.
What the level 57 upgrade needs
Base values from the game’s building data, before any cost or speed bonuses:
| Level | Requirements | Main costs | Base build time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | Operations 56, Academy 56 | 9.10T Parsteel, 12.87B Dilithium, 15,000 5★ Rare Refined Gas, 82,700 5★ Uncommon Refined Gas | About 2,309 days |
| 57 | Operations 57, Academy 57 | 14.25T Parsteel, 20.15B Dilithium, 21,600 5★ Rare Refined Gas, 82,500 5★ Uncommon Refined Gas | About 2,447 days |
| 58 | Operations 58, Academy 58 | 20.59T Parsteel, 31.54B Dilithium, 24,200 5★ Rare Refined Gas, 152,700 5★ Common Refined Gas | About 2,594 days |
Level 57 asks for Operations 57 and Academy 57, with no other building in the list. The unboosted build time is close to seven years, which is why research and building speed bonuses matter so much at this level.
R&D Department Level 57 rewards
- 800 Ultra Recruit Token
Completing the mission also unlocks the next station mission.
How the late R&D missions pay
From level 51 upward, the R&D Department missions switch to a flat reward. Current game data:
| Mission | Recommended level | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| R&D Department Level 50 | 1 | 230 100K Dilithium Token, 60 8 Hour Speed Up |
| R&D Department Level 51 | 51 | 800 Ultra Recruit Token |
| R&D Department Level 53 | 53 | 800 Ultra Recruit Token |
| R&D Department Level 57 | 57 | 800 Ultra Recruit Token |
| R&D Department Level 59 | 59 | 800 Ultra Recruit Token |
Up to level 50, the missions pay Dilithium Tokens and speed ups, and the game lists them at recommended level 1. From level 51 they pay 800 Ultra Recruit Tokens each, and the recommended level matches the building level.
Tips
Treat the reward as a bonus. Eight hundred Ultra Recruit Tokens do not change the cost of the upgrade, but they add up across the late R&D missions if you clear each one.
Stack every speed bonus you have before you start the build. At a base time of about 2,447 days, even a small percentage off saves weeks.
This mission follows Armada Control Center Level 50 and leads into Shuttle Bay Level 57.
