yes, space exploration (which is a different mod entirely), aims to introduce new automation challenges instead of simply extending the same kind of challenges

yes, space exploration (which is a different mod entirely), aims to introduce new automation challenges instead of simply extending the same kind of challenges as in the base game (though it also does a little of that: it'll probably take you a bit longer to launch a rocket than in vanilla and that's more or less the start of SE, but it's nowhere near as slow as seablock). It basically requires use of the circuit network, for example (though the required use is relatively simple, it benefits from more advanced usage).