It definitely can be. I don’t think it needs to be as long as it is. With 5 space science categories, each with 4 tiers, and each tier requiring 4 unique data cards with one common ingredient and one catalog recipe for the tier, one insight per category, there are ~125 intermediate products to manufacture that don’t really pose any new interesting logistical challenges. For example, once you set up iridium processing, the 20 intermediates you need to manufacture to finish all 4 tiers of materials science are pretty straightforward. Sure, dealing with the scrap generated in the process of making those intermediaries is a logistical challenge that becomes harder the deeper you progress, but they probably could have presented that logistic challenge without requiring you to set up production for 25 separate products — most of which are ONLY useful for making materials science packs.
I have really enjoyed the puzzles it has posed in the form of circuit network logic for automating rockets and spaceships. The issue described in TFA is just the tip of the iceberg. My factory has deadlocked in a number of interesting and unique ways over the course of the 600 hours I’ve played thus far. I’ve enjoyed the mod. It has some very interesting ideas and challenges. It’s a shame those puzzles are hidden behind so much slog.