Been playing with CC and NS recently.
It is difficult to find an auton bay.
You need to start with the Constellation and keep the auton bay with you when changing playerships (the finicky 'find another hold and swap it after emptying all your cargo out then reinstall the auton bay in the new ship' process) to have a realistic chance of using the auton bay in a game.
It would be nice to be able to start with other playerships and then add an auton bay during the game but their rarity makes this a low chance.
Maybe add a chance for auton dealers to sell them but not install them?
Or increase their frequency at corporate shipyards and Commonwealth dry docks?
A mission chain which used autons and led to an auton bay at the end of the missions might work.
EDIT: Have since discovered that the auton bay can be ordered at the Corporate Trading posts!