Space Engineers

Space Engineers

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Thruster Damage Range
By Withered
This is a list of all of the vanilla Space Engineers thrusters (and a couple modded thrusters too) and their damage range. I saw many guides in the past all showing different results, so I decided to test it for myself.
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Atmospheric Thrusters
---Damage Length---

-Normal Thrusters-

Small Grid - Small Atmospheric Thrusters: 1 Small Block

Small Grid - Large Atmospheric Thrusters: 4 Small Blocks

Large Grid - Small Atmospheric Thrusters: 2 Large Block

Large Grid - Large Atmospheric Thrusters: 4 Large Blocks


-Flat Thrusters-

Small Grid - Small Flat: 1/2 Small Blocks

Small Grid - Large Flat: 1 Small Block

Large Grid - Small Flat: 1/2 Large Blocks

Large Grid - Large Flat: 1 Large Block


---Damage Width---

Any Small Grid Atmospheric Thruster - 1 Small Block

Any Large Grid Atmospheric Thruster - 1 Large Block


(1 Large Grid Block = 5 Small Grid Blocks)





















Hydrogen Thrusters
---Damage Length---

Small Grid - Small Hydrogen Thrusters: 2 Small Blocks

Small Grid - Large Hydrogen Thrusters: 7 Small Blocks

Large Grid - Small Hydrogen Thrusters: 2 Large Blocks

Large Grid - Large Hydrogen Thrusters: 7 Large Blocks


---Damage Width---

Any Small Grid Hydrogen Thruster - 2 Small Blocks (1 Full Block, 2 Half Blocks)

Any Large Grid Hydrogen Thruster - 2 Large Blocks (1 Full Block, 2 Half Blocks)


(1 Large Grid Block = 5 Small Grid Blocks)











Ion Thrusters
---Damage Length---

Small Grid - Small Ion Thrusters: 1 1/2 Small Blocks

Small Grid - Large Ion Thrusters: 4 Small Blocks

Large Grid - Small Ion Thrusters: 3 Large Blocks

Large Grid - Large Ion Thrusters: 5 Large Blocks


---Damage Width---

Any Small Grid Ion Thruster - 1 Small Block

Any Large Grid Ion Thruster - 1 Large Block (2 Half Blocks)


---Damage Height---

Any Small Grid Ion Thruster - 1 Small Block

Any Large Grid Ion Thruster - 1 Large Block


(1 Large Grid Block = 5 Small Grid Blocks)











Azimuth Thrusters (Modded)
Azimuth Thrusters Pack:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=472087570&searchtext=Azimuth+Thrusters+Pack

--Damage Length---

Small Grid - Azimuth Thruster: 1 1/2 Small Blocks

Small Grid - Azimuth Large Thruster: 13 Small Blocks

Small Grid - Azimuth Thruster Sloped: 2 Small Blocks

Small Grid - Azimuth Thruster Small Angled: 1 1/2 Small Blocks

Small Grid - Azimuth Thruster Small Flat: 2 Small Blocks

Large Grid - Azimuth Thruster: 1 1/2 Large Blocks

Large Grid - Azimuth Large Thruster: 1 Large Block

Large Grid - Azimuth Thruster Sloped: 1 Large Block

Large Grid - Azimuth Thruster Large Angled: 1 1/2 Large Blocks

Large Grid - Azimuth Large Thruster Flat: 2 Large Blocks


---Damage Width---

Any Small Grid Azimuth Thruster (Excluding Azimuth Large Thruster): 1 Small Block

Small Grid Azimuth Large Thruster: 2 Small Blocks (1 Full Block, 2 Half Blocks)

Any Large Grid Azimuth Thruster - 1 Large Block


---Damage Height---

Any Small Grid Azimuth Thruster (Excluding Azimuth Large Thruster): 1 Small Block

Small Grid Azimuth Large Thruster: 1 1/2 Small Blocks

Any Large Grid Azimuth Thruster - 1 Large Block


(1 Large Grid Block = 5 Small Large Blocks)











~Personal Comments~
Thanks for all the support on this guide! If I'm feeling up to it, I'm willing to test any modded thrusters if so desired.

46 Comments
Jun 10 @ 11:01am 
large grid small atmo thrusters actually have a range of about 1.5. I think it's technically closer to 1.4 but 1.5 is safe.
May 11 @ 9:49pm 
hi mates, i dont mean to be rude to the original poster or you but i wanted to tell you guys that you can use build info to know the damage range of any thruster and i think it works with modded ones aswell
Jan 5 @ 6:47am 
I'd say whenever the thruster goes even a little into the area above a block, that block is at risk of damage. so if the thruster goes just a few pixels out of the "pit" in the picture, it would damage the blocks next to it. Damage is proportional to the power that the thruster is using.
Mar 10, 2025 @ 1:26am 
Maybe it's been asked plenty of times before and I've been too dumb to find it, I'll appologise for any ignorance in advance.
Is there any issue with thruster exhausts causing damage in a wider area than the base width, if the thruster is travelling laterally? Ie, if the thruster is travelling perpendicular to it's direction of exhaust, "should" it damage blocks that would otherwise be "safe" from damage if the grid (such as the above test-beds) was stationary.
Or am I having a different problem with my game?
Jun 29, 2024 @ 7:49pm 
The image of the large Grid atmos should be updated to display 4 and 2 blocks instead of 3 and 1 if possible.

It wont deal damage on earth, but on Pertham the blocks will blow up with same setup because the thruster max settings are different (5.7 earth and 6.4 pertham)
Jun 2, 2024 @ 6:27pm 
Hey, if you're still up for testing modded thrusters, can you test the ones from this mod?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2394430829
Withered  [author]
Dec 8, 2023 @ 7:07pm 
Please no fighting! I'll put back what father.m tested for now, and I'll go test the thrusters tomorrow to confirm it, along with get the data for the last thruster.
Dec 8, 2023 @ 6:04pm 
@Frankenstein Radio you cleaerly didn't read what I wrote. I wrote that only small grid small thruster do no damage, and that any sized large flat thruster have one block of damage range. Putting 2 small grid large flat thrusters back to back is ok because small grid large flat thrusters takes 2 block, but it's hitbox in the back is reduced.
Withered  [author]
Dec 8, 2023 @ 1:45pm 
Oh I'm so sorry about that, its gone now. I'll be sure to test it here soon.
Dec 7, 2023 @ 2:55pm 
Flat small grid DO damage, he just probably put two back to back. They most certainly cause damage, just followed his info and broke my solar panel in flight. That info is not correct