Players start the game by placing a "star" hex on the table, and then putting a layer of hexes around it for each player in the game. Any "black hole" hexes are placed to the side. Any time 3 adjacent "space" cards are placed, the third one is placed to the side.
Each player starts with 3 of each resource, one factory, one shipyard and 3 ships.
Next the first player places either their factory or a shipyard on an hex not occupied by and non-adjacent to a hex occupied by another player. Each player then repeats this. After each player has placed a factory or shipyard, each player will then place the the other token they have not already placed in the reverse order.
Each player may then place their ships on either their factory or their shipyard in any way they want.