I am a bit conflicted about the satellite affinity bonuses. It is a great idea and works but in the start it favors supremacy due to solar collectors found in resource pods. Lore vise it can make sense, no problem there.

I've come to think of the Affinity-points-for-Satellites as a poor design (or at least poorly done). I need to change resource pod rewards to balance it but even if I do it is still a bunch of fiddly work for 1-2 Affinity points. I want to try and make the Affinity rewards come in more meaningful denominations (say a flat 5 Affinity points rather than 1-per-sat).

I would not touch the resource pod solar collector find. Removing it would be a pity as it is a really nice mechanic. And if it would be possible to find any affinity satellite getting a lucky weather controller in the beginning would be too strong.

Actually making the found satellite a spy satellite could work. The stratetic advantage of spy satellites is rather small in the beginning. Maybe make spy satellites grant +1 political capital in covered cities? No system of government is totally above spying on their own citizens

Now that I have thought about it I might make a small mod that makes those changes on the spy satellite and makes the resource pods drop spy satellites for my personal use.