Delivery & Automation · Source-led
Moon Sweepers Pressure Chamber: Setup, Use and Problems
Quick answer
The Pressure Chamber costs $500 in the Production tab and turns up to 5 kg of lunar dust into 5 kg of moon sand every 12 seconds at full power. It needs 10 kW from solar panels in range and has one input and one output. Sand is worth 3x dust, so this is the first processing step that clearly raises the value of a load.
Setup
Place and connect the chamber
- 01
Choose a Production site
Open the build menu's Production tab and place the chamber on a foundation that can hold its footprint. The 1.0.4 data lists a footprint of 8.2 × 5.2 m and a height of 6.2 m.
- 02
Give it 10 kW
A Solar Tracker (L) produces 16 kW in full sun and has a 10 kWh battery. It reaches machines within 34 m. A single tracker can run one chamber during the day; add a second for a practical night buffer.
- 03
Connect one input and one output
The chamber has one input and one output. Feed it dust capsules from a Packager or a catcher; send the sand capsules to a Stone Press or a station.
- 04
Confirm the first cycle
The chamber accepts up to 5 kg of dust and produces the same weight of sand in 12 seconds. A 1 kg capsule leaves the output every 0.35 seconds while the batch is being discharged.
Normal operation
What a working chamber looks like
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Price | $500 |
| Build tab | Production |
| Power needed | 10 kW |
| Cycle | 12 s for up to 5 kg |
| Full-power throughput | 25 kg of dust pressed per minute |
| Output | 1 kg sand capsule every 0.35 s onto the belt |
| Inputs / outputs | 1 / 1 |
| Stops below | 8% of required power |
Rates are at full power with inputs never short. Under part power, the cycle takes longer.
Sand sells for $3 per kg against $1 per kg for dust. One full chamber cycle turns a $5 base-value dust batch into $15 base-value sand, an added $10 before payout upgrades. The machine's value comes from repeating that conversion, not from a single cycle.
Troubleshooting
Why the chamber will not place or process
| Symptom | Check | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot place | Ground, foundations, slope, collision or a nearby machine. | Clear the footprint and place on a foundation that can hold the 8.2 × 5.2 m machine. |
| No power | Panel range, night cycle, battery level or another machine drawing from the same panels. | Move the machine within 34 m of a tracker, add a tracker, or reduce the load at night. |
| No dust enters | Input belt direction, capsule type or a blocked input. | Send 1 kg dust capsules into the input; check the belt is moving toward the machine. |
| Sand does not leave | Output belt, storage or a full receiving machine. | Clear the output and connect the belt to a Stone Press or station. |
| Machine stops with a capsule error | Old 1.0.4-era bug. | Update to 1.0.4; the patch fixed the “Could not pack a capsule” pause with power and materials available. |
Next machine
What to build after the first chamber
The stone press consumes 1 kg of dust and 1 kg of sand to make a 2 kg moon stone block every six seconds. A full-power chamber makes 25 kg of sand per minute; one stone press uses 10 kg, so one chamber can feed 2.5 presses if the dust input is also available. Start with one press, confirm the line, then add capacity.
Straight answers
Questions about this task
How much does the Pressure Chamber cost?
It costs $500 in the 1.0.4 build menu. Power, belts and a Stone Press are additional.
How much sand does it produce?
At full power it converts up to 5 kg of dust per 12-second cycle, or 25 kg per minute, and outputs sand in 1 kg capsules.
Why did the Pressure Chamber stop?
Check power first. It stops below 8% of its 10 kW requirement. Then check the input belt, output belt and whether a receiving machine is full. On versions before 1.0.4, the “Could not pack a capsule” bug could also stop machines with power and materials available.
Trace the answer
Sources and scope
This is an independent, source-led guide, not a first-hand playtest. Gameplay values, build-menu details and UI behavior are checked against the 1.0.4 data snapshot and official patch notes. Your installed build is the final authority.
- Reference Wikily: Pressure chamber Moon Sweepers 1.0.4 data index, checked 28 Oct 2026. Useful for build-menu values; not an official developer page.
- Reference Wikily: Production chains Moon Sweepers 1.0.4 data index, checked 28 Oct 2026. Useful for build-menu values; not an official developer page.
- Reference Wikily: Solar tracker Moon Sweepers 1.0.4 data index, checked 28 Oct 2026. Useful for build-menu values; not an official developer page.
- Official Moon Sweepers 1.0.4 patch notes Official patch notes, 25 Oct 2026.
- Reference Destructoid: complete Moon Sweepers walkthrough Launch-week conversion rates and stone-press recipe.