Science facilities are terran structures responsible for conducting advanced research into tactical technologies. Science facilities are not constructible in StarCraft II but one does appear as a secret building in the mission Media Blitz.
The science facility researches the upgrades for science vessels, and allows research of tier 2 and 3 armor and weapon upgrades.
Researched Abilities
EMP Shockwave
Reduces shield and energy to 0 for all enemy or allied units within the blast radius. Particularly useful against protoss units and buildings.
Usage
Hotkey
E
Cost
100
Range
8
Acquisition
Purchased from
Science facility
Hotkey
E
Cost
200 200 120
Irradiate
Reduces the hit points of biological units near the targeted unit (and the targeted unit itself if it is biological) by 250 over 25 seconds. (Deals 3.33 damage in 8-frames intervals, resulting in 75 damage instances over 600 frames.)
Mechanical units are immune, but biological units within 2 hex radius of an irradiated mechanical unit will still be affected.
Damage from multiple instances of Irradiate fully stack.
The science facility can add a physics lab to itself, enabling production of battlecruisers and researching abilities and upgrades for them. This prevents the science facility from building a covert ops.
The science facility can add a covert ops facility to itself, enabling production of ghosts and researching abilities and upgrades for them. This prevents the science facility from building a physics lab.
This structure can lift off, enabling it to fly. It cannot produce units or conduct research while in flight, and must leave add-ons behind.
Usage
Hotkey
L
Development
During the starcraft alpha, the science facility was known as the "research center" [1]
StarCraft II
A science facility appears in the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty mission, Media Blitz.[2] It serves as the access point for the secret mission, Piercing the Shroud.[3] On Left 2 Die, the science facility is the responsible for unlocking new units and structures (or upgrades for them) researched using biomass. On the map, it does have a radar ability similar to the sensor tower.[4]