Automation and logistics
Asteroid Prospecting
Systematic asteroid scans can locate useful deposits, including resources unavailable in vanilla planetary ore tables.
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Asteroid Prospecting
Asteroid clusters and asteroid voxels in the planetary system. Vanilla uranium and platinum searches belong on asteroids.
Before you go
- Ship with power, maneuvering thrusters, and Ore Detector.
- Ship camera is useful for close inspection.
- Mining tools and cargo space for confirmed deposits.
Farming steps
- Travel to an asteroid cluster with sufficient maneuvering fuel and room to return with cargo.
- Power the detector and set maximum range; keep the HUD visible while approaching existing asteroids.
- Use the camera to inspect surfaces at a safe distance, then scan each candidate rock for ore signals.
- Mark any signal and approach it carefully to confirm the ore type before mining.
- Mine the indicated voxel with a Hand Drill or ship drills and check for further signal depth.
- Skip rocks with no useful signal rather than treating every asteroid as a guaranteed resource site.
- Track your cargo and return to a powered Refinery when you have the required ore.
- A detector signal is more reliable than surface appearance for identifying the target ore.
- Keep the ship under control near asteroid surfaces; leave room to maneuver away from the rock.
Repeat, collect and use
Continue to scan other existing asteroids as needed. A mined deposit is finite; return to the cluster or search new rocks when more ore is required.
Common mistakes
- Assuming every asteroid holds ore: confirm a signal before committing to mining.
- Approaching too quickly to inspect safely: slow down and use camera or detector before closing in.
- Leaving without a return cargo plan: reserve fuel and storage for the mined load.
When to stop or switch
Stop when cargo is full, the target ingot supply is covered, or the current cluster offers no useful signals; switch to another cluster when needed.
Sources & fact checks
What you can get here
Open a guide to find other locations and see what the item is used for.