You Have to Look Up

[Galinet]

I've seen stations "above" the main plane but this one seems quite high and difficult to view. It was already "discovered" by my scout which scouted on the main plane. To see it on the map I had to change the view, I had to tilt the map such that the upper part is now where the ZYA factory is (in blue).

Can stations be so high that a scout on the main plane won't detect it?

Can stations be below the main plane? I don't remember seeing them.

https://i.imgur.com/ynKexts.png

[XaaluFarun]

I'm not sure about the first question but stations can certainly be below or above the main plane, as far as how far I'm not sure

[Bozz11]

Yes that's nothing unusual

[Starlight_Corporation]

It happens, especially for stations built in a sector that isn't owned by the Station builder. Have found some Xenon stations very off plane. And the Teladi in my game have built a Defense Station in Matrix 451 that was very high up. Didn't discover it till I had a mission to transport a passenger to it (from Ianama Zura)
Can be below plane as well, but don't see it that often. Had a few Xenon stations that were below the plane.

A fun hint, if you notice a sector has suddenly expanded, it can be because someone built a station beyond the original sector border, causing the map to zoom out the sector a bit. Got a few distant stations like that in Segaris ( 500+ km travel from the nearest station) + the record holder in my game is a loner station in Nopileos' Fortune IV, that needs a long trek of 800km to reach it... The owner must hate traders & profit.

[Insects]

Yes they can be so far off plane that the Scout doesn't even see them unless it happens to be flying low/high.

Some gates are off plane too, which will result in more off plane stations.
I feel this is a lot more common with the sectors they added in the Split DLC.

[grapedog]

Yeah... it can happen.... how and why I have no clue.

I've had a few show up WAY FAR away...