BGS question: can assets be added through expansion?

[Andovar]

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but considering all the BGS changes with 3.3, I figured I'd ask anyway.

If a faction has no populated systems around it within the expansion range (20ly I think?), can it expand?
If it was to expand to an unpopulated system, then some base or outpost would have to be added, right? Is this something that can only be done manually by FD?

Follow-up question: What about station services? Can services offered (like outfitting or shipyard) be added to an existing station when they are in a boom or expansion state? Or is that stuff static as well?

 

[Mangal Oemie]

At this time, you can only expand to already populated systems. Station upgrades/down grades are not in the game, but it would be cool if we could. As would of course colonization.

 

[Andovar]

I figured as much.

Maybe, hopefully, they can implement some of this stuff in the future. Would be nice to feel like you're actually part of dynamically growing the bubble. (I know they sort of have this stuff now through CG's, like with colonia & pleiades , but that still feels rather static and staged.)