How do I increase the bar for total planet capacity of minerals and artifacts? Its a pain to have to keep emptying the minerals so often.

Either buy storage towers or take over more planets. Every planet you take increases the capacity

You get 1000 artifact storage capacity and 500 mineral storage capacity for each planet you own. (plus the original 1k capacity of each you start out with) Your research storage is 150 x your level.

The capacities can only be increased as stated above - getting more planets or getting storage artifacts - which cost ~ 600 ctp on the trading forums, or can be purchased with GP from the artifact market.

Great. Thanks for the info.

Extra 1k space? How did you get that?

You don't get any Mineral or Artifact "storage" until you colonize your first planet. You start off with a Research capacity of 150 because it is rank based and there is no rank 0.

Woops, forgot to subtract my Polychron vault. I was looking for that extra 1k everywhere and knew I had to be missing it.