my theory looks like thisQuestion about Refineries & Economy:
I am a bit confused about refineries. Apparently the only refinery installation can be built on surface, as a refinery hub, and no refinery building in space.
How can my colony then can produce space refinery items, especially Insulating Membranes? Will my orbital outposts or ports produce it automatically if I build a refinery hub? Or should my space port be in the orbit of the planet/moon the refinery hub was built?
And in some systems, we can find orbit ports differ in economies; like in 1 system; there can be 1 agriculture, 1 refinery 1extraction space ports. How is the economy determined for the orbit and surface settlements? Is it dependent on the number of facilities that the planetary port orbiting the planet (or gas giant or asteroid belt) and its moons, or is it detemined randomy throughout the system?
The outposts in orbits is another question; except for extraction hub, the space outposts doesnt seem to be contributing to the facilities in the system as a prerequisite, they just increase values in a system. How can an orbital outpost affect an economy of a surface or orbital portal?
every body/singular Space-slot forms a micro-economy, are they grouped together they form a local eco, these grouped result in a regional economy and all together define the Systems economy - but thats a theory which still has to be proven (or negated) so far.
and depending on where you put a port thats whats defines your market. Market strenght would depend on the no of facilities supporting it....