USS Franklin is a nine-part mission chain in which Scotty builds and then keeps working on the USS Franklin while you upgrade your station to keep him supplied. Part 1 asks you to build the ship, and every part after that is a single building upgrade, from Shipyard level 18 up to Engine Technology Lab level 32. All nine parts are listed at recommended level 1 and warp 1, so there is no travel or combat. The chain pays 1,800 Swarm Biominerals, eight Franklin warp components and just under 250,000 Dilithium, which makes it close to free progress for anyone building the Franklin.
USS Franklin at a glance
| Part | Recommended level | Warp to complete | Key reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Franklin Part 1 | 1 | 1 | 100 Swarm Biominerals |
| USS Franklin Part 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 Franklin Warp Interlock |
| USS Franklin Part 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 Franklin Warp Conduit |
| USS Franklin Part 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 Franklin Warp Relay |
| USS Franklin Part 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 Franklin Warp Regulator |
| USS Franklin Part 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 Franklin Warp Injector |
| USS Franklin Part 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 Franklin Warp Containment |
| USS Franklin Part 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 Franklin Warp Coil |
| USS Franklin Part 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 Franklin Warp Core |
The chain follows The Nest, and each part you finish opens the next.
USS Franklin Part 1
The chain starts with the ship itself. Build the USS Franklin and the first batch of Swarm Biominerals is yours.
- Build the USS Franklin.
Warp to complete: 1. Rewards: 100 Swarm Biominerals, 800 Dilithium.
USS Franklin Part 2
Scotty needs a bigger yard to keep working on the Franklin, so the first station job is the Shipyard.
- Upgrade the Shipyard to level 18.
Warp to complete: 1. Rewards: 125 Swarm Biominerals, 1 Franklin Warp Interlock, 5 2★ Uncommon Refined Crystal, 5 2★ Uncommon Refined Gas, 5 2★ Uncommon Refined Ore.
USS Franklin Part 3
The next upgrade is the Astronautics Studio, and it pays the second warp component.
- Upgrade the Astronautics Studio to level 20.
Warp to complete: 1. Rewards: 150 Swarm Biominerals, 1 Franklin Warp Conduit, 1,700 Dilithium.
USS Franklin Part 4
Part 4 moves to the R&D Department and steps the refined materials up from 2★ to 3★.
- Upgrade R&D Department to level 22.
Warp to complete: 1. Rewards: 175 Swarm Biominerals, 1 Franklin Warp Relay, 8 3★ Uncommon Refined Crystal, 8 3★ Uncommon Refined Gas, 8 3★ Uncommon Refined Ore.
USS Franklin Part 5
The fourth building in the rotation is the Engine Technology Lab.
- Upgrade the Engine Technology Lab to level 24.
Warp to complete: 1. Rewards: 200 Swarm Biominerals, 1 Franklin Warp Regulator, 9,000 Dilithium.
USS Franklin Part 6
The rotation returns to the Astronautics Studio, and this time the refined reward is 3★ Rare material.
- Upgrade Astronautics Studio to level 26.
Warp to complete: 1. Rewards: 225 Swarm Biominerals, 1 Franklin Warp Injector, 1 3★ Rare Refined Crystal, 1 3★ Rare Refined Gas, 1 3★ Rare Refined Ore.
USS Franklin Part 7
Back to the R&D Department for the seventh part, where the Dilithium reward starts to climb.
- Upgrade R&D Department to level 28.
Warp to complete: 1. Rewards: 250 Swarm Biominerals, 1 Franklin Warp Containment, 36,000 Dilithium.
USS Franklin Part 8
The Shipyard comes around again, twelve levels higher than in Part 2.
- Upgrade Shipyard to level 30.
Warp to complete: 1. Rewards: 275 Swarm Biominerals, 1 Franklin Warp Coil, 70,000 Dilithium.
USS Franklin Part 9
The last part asks for the highest building level in the chain and pays the largest Swarm Biominerals and Dilithium rewards.
- Upgrade the Engine Technology Lab to level 32.
Warp to complete: 1. Rewards: 300 Swarm Biominerals, 1 Franklin Warp Core, 132,000 Dilithium.
Tips for completing USS Franklin
The game lists every part at recommended level 1, but that number says little here. The real gate is your station: you need the Shipyard at 18 and 30, the Astronautics Studio at 20 and 26, the R&D Department at 22 and 28, and the Engine Technology Lab at 24 and 32. The chain moves as fast as those upgrades do, and nothing else is asked of you.
Plan your build queue around the chain. If you are already pushing toward those levels, check which building the next part needs and upgrade that one first, so each part completes as soon as the timer ends.
There is no travel and no combat, so your ships stay free for mining, events and other missions while the chain runs in the background. The warp components come one per part from Part 2 onward, in the order Interlock, Conduit, Relay, Regulator, Injector, Containment, Coil and Core. Swarm Biominerals rise by 25 each part, from 100 to 300. Parts 2, 4 and 6 pay refined materials split evenly across Crystal, Gas and Ore (15 2★ Uncommon, 24 3★ Uncommon and 3 3★ Rare in total), while the other six parts pay Dilithium instead. The later USS Franklin-A retrofit chain pays Mk. II versions of the same eight components.
Are the USS Franklin rewards worth it?
Yes. Every objective is an upgrade you will likely do anyway, and the chain pays 1,800 Swarm Biominerals, all eight Franklin warp components, 249,500 Dilithium and a small spread of refined materials for it. The late parts carry most of the value, with Parts 7 to 9 alone paying 238,000 Dilithium. For more chains like this one, see the mission guide.
