Spacecraft Refit
A spacecraft can be refit and upgraded. A subsystem type can be changed to another and subsystem volumes can be adjusted, this includes upgrading a spacecraft's subsystem to a higher quality of its current type too.
Subsystems and volume can be configured when first selecting the spacecraft to manufacture at a spacecraft factory, and upgraded/refit post-construction by an airport repair shop using spacecraft servicing.
Spare Parts
Subsystem modules are a type of spare parts commodity manufactured at an airport repair shop. From there they can be purchased or used by the airport repair shop itself.
There are many types of subsystems modules, each categorized with their corresponding spacecraft subsystem they belong to.
Modules
The modules installed in a spacecraft's subsystems can be upgraded or change to another type.
Examples:
- Upgrading a FTL drive subsystem that has a wormhole FTL Drive Module to use a warp FTL drive module instead.
- Upgrading a weapon bay subsystem that has a prospector bay module to use a energy weapon bay module instead.
- Upgrading the quality of the spacecraft's power plant subsystem to a higher quality using higher quality hydrogen power plant modules.
There are two ways to install a new type of module in a spacecraft's subsystem; service purchase or manual installation.
Service Purchase
An airport repair shop is able to rent their services to install modules. The service costs a bit of money and will require the spacecraft is moored at a space station or in the city for a little while.
Using the Trade communication channel's Spacecraft Service menu, a full list of all spacecraft subsystems that can be upgraded are listed. Selecting one and requesting modules will ask all cities in range which modules they have for that particular spacecraft subsystem.
Manual Installation
Manually installing a new modules requires the spacecraft to have a service panel of the corresponding type. If the spacecraft doesn't have a service panel for the subsystem it can't be manually repaired or upgraded.
The spacecraft has to be moored to a space station or landed anywhere, and then rigged for repair by powering down all subsystems on board the spacecraft. First the old modules have to be uninstalled. Once all the modules have been uninstalled, the subsystem will chance to the new type when the first module is installed. The modules are uninstalled with the alternative use of a related tool on the service panel, and installed with the use of the same tool.
Refit
The refitting of a spacecraft's subsystem volumes can't be done manually, it can only be done by the service of an airport repair shop.