Moon Sweepers Automation: Packing and Catcher Routing

Identify which part of the system has stopped

Start with the visible symptom rather than rebuilding the entire setup. Garage output, capsule packing and J.O.O.N.A.S. routing have different documented checks. The developer also describes separate corrections in 1.0.4 and 1.0.5, so match the symptom to the relevant change. Developer automation updates.

These checks are based on the developer's status indicators and versioned changes. Use them to separate an output connection problem from a packing symptom or a routing expectation. Status indicators and fixes.

Read the garage silo's output message

1. Inspect the garage whose silo is not sending dust out.
2. Read the reason it displays.
3. If it asks for a conveyor belt connected to the outfeed, inspect that connection.

Patch 1.0.5 adds explanations for a garage silo that is not exporting dust. The missing-outfeed-belt message is one documented example, not a complete list of possible reasons. Let the garage's actual message determine the first connection check. Garage silo status messages.

If the problem appeared after rearranging construction, the building guide covers Move Mode and its belt-reach constraint. Keep that relocation check separate from reading the silo's own explanation.

Separate the two capsule-packing fixes

Patch 1.0.4 reports fixing machines that paused with “Could not pack a capsule” even though power and materials were available. Patch 1.0.5 describes another packing failure in large bases with many capsules on belts. That later correction covers Q packing, the Auto-Packer and machines. Packing fixes.

For a packing stoppage, note which of those operations is affected and whether the base has many capsules on belts. Then compare the installed version with the relevant fix. The 1.0.4 machine fix and the 1.0.5 large-base fix are separate entries, so the older one alone does not describe every documented packing problem. Versioned packing changes.

What does the Q packing entry tell me?

It identifies Q packing as one of the operations affected by the 1.0.5 large-base bug. Use that entry to match a symptom and version, rather than treating a single named key as a complete manual packing tutorial. Q and Auto-Packer fix.

Are capsules unlimited after 1.0.5?

No. Patch 1.0.5 removes the previous limit of 10,000 capsules lying on the ground, but gives a total world capacity of up to 90,000 capsules. Removing the ground-specific restriction does not make overall capsule capacity unlimited. Capsule capacity change.

Check catcher groups and fullness

Under the 1.0.5 rule, J.O.O.N.A.S. targets the emptiest catcher in the nearest group. Catchers within 100 m of each other are grouped together. When every catcher in that group is over 80% full, capsules go to the next group. Current catcher routing.

Use this sequence when the robot supplies a catcher you did not expect:

1. Inspect the catchers near its work and their spacing.
2. Compare fullness within the nearest group.
3. Look for that group's emptiest catcher, not merely the closest individual catcher.
4. If capsules are going to a farther group, check whether every catcher in the nearer group is over 80% full.

Patch 1.0.4 increases catcher capacity to 100 kg and makes collected dust visible through the glass. Those visible contents are useful when inspecting fullness, while the newer group rule determines which catcher is selected. Catcher capacity and routing changes.

Why is the closest individual catcher not receiving capsules?

The older 1.0.4 description selected the nearest individual catcher. Patch 1.0.5 replaces that selection rule with the emptiest catcher in the nearest group. A catcher can therefore be the relevant target because of its relative fullness within the group, rather than being the closest individual one. Routing history and current rule.

Should J.O.O.N.A.S. return to a dock between sectors?

Patch 1.0.4 removes dock trips and describes launching capsules while moving on to the next sector. A missing dock return is therefore not, by itself, evidence of stopped work. Use the 1.0.5 group-selection rule when checking where those launched capsules go. Robot transport changes.

Inspect robot activity before assuming it is idle

Open the map to see robots and their current activity. Robot-type filters let you narrow the view, and looking directly at J.O.O.N.A.S. shows its information panel. Its gauge flashes red when full. Robot observation tools.

Check those observations alongside the catchers. A full gauge and an unexpected destination are different findings: one concerns the robot's fullness, while the other should be compared with group spacing and catcher fullness. Robot indicators and catcher routing.

Do I need to stay near J.O.O.N.A.S. for it to clean?

The 1.0.4 notes say it keeps cleaning without nearby players. They also describe outside-in cleaning of each hex to completion, navigation around buildings and skipping unreachable hexes. Inspect activity and reachable work rather than assuming player distance alone explains an apparent pause. Robot work behavior.

Distinguish sector-completion problems

Patch 1.0.5 reports fixing distant cleaned hexes that stayed at 99.9% without completing or paying. It separately addresses sectors showing 0% cleaned despite having no dust left. Those apparently empty sectors are checked when the world loads, allowing finished ones to complete and pay. Sector completion fixes.

Match the percentage and visible condition to the documented case. The 99.9% entry concerns distant cleaned hexes, while the 0% entry explicitly describes a world-load check. Keep both separate from capsule packing and garage outfeed symptoms. Completion and payment changes.

Check belt handling and payment separately

While carrying a capsule, you can place it onto a belt at the location you aim at. Splitters and mergers can snap directly together port-to-port, and patch 1.0.4 makes mergers alternate between their inputs. These are documented handling options, not a complete machine-setup procedure. Belt handling changes.

Crewmates can place splitters and mergers on belts built by other players. Patch 1.0.3 also reports fixing crewmate-built junctions; coordinate shared-line changes through the co-op guide. Patch 1.0.4 separately reports fixing capsules falling beneath foundations after belts were removed. Crew junctions and belt-removal fix.

For material reaching the deposit intake, patch 1.0.3 says belt-delivered dust and stone are paid for as they arrive, at the displayed amount. That is distinct from the store's storage-to-depot shipment loop. See the beginner guide for the manual delivery sequence. Intake payment and official shipment description.

Version and scope

Checked November 1, 2026: 1.0.5, dated October 28, is the newest released patch visible in the official feed; 1.1 is planned for December 2026 and may change. This guide offers documented observations and reported fixes, not guaranteed recovery or hands-on validation; complete packing setup, recipes, throughput targets, catcher tie-breaking and ambiguous chained-distance grouping remain outside its scope. Released changes and future plans.