MINING FIELD MANUAL

1. 01
   PLAN YOUR SITE

   Ground mining works best at known surface deposits. Research locations before departure — use your ship's scanning package in orbit to identify promising areas before landing. Best moons for ground mining:

   DAYMAR YELA ABERDEEN ARIEL

   Use the ship's surface scanner (V key in flight) to ping the ground below while in low orbit — coloured blips indicate surface ore deposits
2. 02
   LAND YOUR SHIP / DEPLOY YOUR ROVER

   Set down on flat, stable ground near your target deposit. Use your ship's PAD (Public Access Dock) or find a clear landing zone. If using a rover, land your ship nearby and deploy the rover from your ship's vehicle bay (F to exit ship, approach rover, Y to enter).

   Check your proximity radar for other ships and vehicles in the area before exiting — some moons have hostile NPC traffic
3. 03
   IDENTIFY THE ORE VEIN

   Look for visible discolouration on rock faces, cliff walls, or cave entrances. Use your handheld scanner (V in FPS mode) to confirm the ore type and concentration. For Rosto users: attach the mining module first via interactions menu (Alt + E) before activating the laser.

   HADANITE — purple/pink crystals, commonly found in cave mouths TITANIUM — red/brown discolouration in exposed rock DOLIVINE — blue-green veins in shaded areas

4. 04
   ACTIVATE MINING LASER

   For ships (Prospector/Mole): ensure ship is landed and powered on. Activate mining mode (Alt + C). Fire laser at ore seam within 8–12m. Watch the heat gauge — release and re-engage at peak pitch for best fragment yield.

   For Rosto: ensure mining module is attached. Hold LMB to fire the mounted laser at the ore face. Same heat/pitch rules apply.

   On rough terrain, reposition your vehicle rather than overextending your laser range — maximum range is 8–12 metres
5. 05
   COLLECT FRAGMENTS

   When a fragment breaks free it will glow and drift slowly. Walk or fly close and press Y to collect. Fragments from ground mining can scatter on sloped terrain — approach carefully to avoid losing pieces down slopes.

   Keep a mental note of fragments that drift into hard-to-reach spots — sometimes it's faster to mark the location and come back with a tractor beam than to chase them
6. 06
   LOAD INTO TRANSPORT

   Ground-mined ore goes directly into your ship's hold (Prospector/Mole) or must be physically moved to the Transporter's cargo area. If working from a rover with no cargo, call the Transporter to your location and transfer via the cargo grid (Alt + E).

   If mining at a cave site, position the transporter as close to the cave entrance as possible — carrying ore by hand over distance is slow
7. 07
   MONITOR ORE QUALITY

   Ground deposits can vary in concentration. Check your cargo manifest regularly. If yield-per-fragment is dropping, move to a different section of the vein or relocate to a fresh deposit. Higher concentration = more value per SCU.

* Hadanite is the highest-value ground ore. Caves on Yela and Daymar are the primary sources.

1. 01
   GEAR UP BEFORE DEPARTURE

   Manual mining is high-risk. Check every piece of equipment before leaving your ship:

   > Flight suit — seals properly, no damage
   > Helmet — sealed, oxygen supply charged
   > ORE-7 or ORE-8 — battery charged, fuel cell loaded
   > ORESEEC Scanner — battery full, calibrated
   > Backup light source — small flashlight or flare in suit pocket
   > Wrist-mounted GPS — waypoints for returning to entrance

   Set a waypoint at the cave entrance in your Mobiglas before going in — if you get lost or your helmet light fails, this is your lifeline back
2. 02
   NAVIGATE TO CAVE ENTRANCE

   Park your ship within visible range of the cave mouth. Mark the ship location with a waypoint. Best known cave locations:

   DAYMAR — multiple cave systems on the equator and northern latitudes YELA — extensive ice cave networks, Hadanite-rich ABERDEEN — dangerous but high-value deposits

   Approach cave entrances slowly — some caves have wildlife (Diwannes) that are territorial. Listen for audio cues before fully entering
3. 03
   SCAN THE CAVE INTERIOR

   Once inside, switch to your ORESEEC scanner. Use it to ping the cave walls and ceiling — the scanner detects ore through rock. Look for high-concentration readings (70%+). The scanner displays ore type and estimated concentration.

   Move slowly and scan ahead before proceeding deeper. Note any branches or intersections — mark dead ends mentally or with waypoints.

   Hadanite crystals glow faintly purple under helmet UV light — even without the scanner, a faint purple glow on cave walls usually means a deposit nearby
4. 04
   EXTRACT THE ORE

   Approach the ore seam within 3–5 metres. Hold LMB to fire your handheld laser at the ore face. Manual mining lasers have a shorter optimal range than ship-mounted units. Work in short bursts — watch the pitch indicator and the laser heat gauge.

   For dense veins, chip away at the edges first to avoid fragments embedding in surrounding rock.

   Your stamina depletes when moving and climbing in gravity. If you see a "low stamina" warning, take a short break — you move slower and mine slower when exhausted
5. 05
   COLLECT AND PACKAGE FRAGMENTS

   Fragments from manual mining are smaller than vehicle-mined pieces. Walk over and press Y to collect into your personal inventory. Manual mining has a lower per-fragment yield but the ore concentration in cave deposits is often higher.

   Monitor your inventory capacity — you have limited personal storage. Call the Transporter to your cave entrance when you are near capacity.

   Fragments are physically smaller — they can fall into crevices and gaps in the cave floor. Bring a tractor beam tool if your ship can carry one — it helps retrieve pieces from hard-to-reach spots
6. 06
   EXIT SAFELY

   Use your waypoint to navigate back to the cave entrance. Follow your original path — do not take unknown shortcuts. Check your oxygen supply regularly (Mobiglas > Status). If oxygen drops below 20%, exit immediately regardless of cargo status.

   If you are far from your ship and oxygen is critical, call the Transporter to the cave entrance and request emergency pickup.

   Going out of bounds (logging out) in a cave is a bad idea — you will respawn at the last station and lose any unmoved fragments. Always plan your exit before going deep
7. 07
   OFFLOAD AT CAVE ENTRANCE

   Transfer ore to the Transporter at the cave mouth. If your Transporter cannot reach the cave entrance (rough terrain), carry the ore to the nearest accessible point and transfer there. Document the cave location for future runs.

* Manual mining is the only way to access Hadanite in caves. Hadanite is used in medical crafting and commands premium prices.

• > Never enter a cave without a waypoint set at the entrance — disorientation kills in underground spaces
• > Monitor oxygen at all times — 20% or below triggers emergency exit protocol
• > Two-player minimum for deep cave runs — one stays near the entrance as a relay/beacon
• > Bring backup lighting — helmet lights fail. A dead flashlight in your pocket is better than nothing
• > Check for wildlife before entering — Diwannes and similar creatures are territorial and do not distinguish between miners and intruders

1. 01
   PRE-FLIGHT CHECK

   Before leaving station, confirm: full fuel, empty cargo hold, missiles and top ammo stocked if applicable. Check current refinery prices at CRU-L5 or Arial 4 via Mobiglas > Star Broker > Refinery Prices. Prices shift — never assume last session's rates.

2. 02
   QUANTUM TRAVEL TO MINING SITE

   Navigate to a known asteroid field. Key locations:

   CRU-L5 — Lagrange Point, massive density, largest operational site ARIAL 4 — moon with nearby belt, good for medium operations YELA BELT — asteroid belt near Yela moon, mixed ore types

   Set Quantum Drive to max. Align and QT. Expected travel: 5–15 min. Keep radar visible for inbound ships — some fields attract pirates.

3. 03
   SCAN FOR ORE DEPOSITS

   Use scanning mode (V key) to ping the asteroid field. Coloured blips represent different ore types. Target deposits with concentration 60%+ for best yield-to-time ratio.

   YELLOW = ASTRERIUM ORANGE = BEXANITE RED = TITANIUM BLUE = DOLIVINE PURPLE = MANSTONE

   The Mole's scanning array is more sensitive than the Prospector's — you'll find denser deposits faster in a coordinated Mole group
4. 04
   DEPLOY MINING LASER

   Switch to Mining Mode (Alt + C). Approach the asteroid to 8–12 metres. Fire mining laser (LMB hold) at the glowing ore seam. Release before the heat gauge hits red — listen for the pitch change as a guide.

   Approach asteroids slowly and circle the ore seam before committing — sometimes the densest part of the deposit is on the opposite face from your initial approach angle
5. 05
   COLLECT FRAGMENTS

   When a fragment breaks free it glows and drifts slowly. Fly close and press Y to collect into cargo. Fragments can drift into space — keep your ship positioned between the fragment and the asteroid to catch it with thruster exhaust.

   Turn off afterburner when collecting — fragments are light and can scatter from your thruster exhaust into the void. Practice gentle approach and collection
6. 06
   MONITOR CARGO AND PLAN OFFLOAD

   Track your cargo via the ship HUD or Mobiglas. When at 85–90% capacity, contact the Transporter and provide your position. The Transporter will QT to collect. Do not fill the hold past 100% — you cannot collect more until offloaded.

7. 07
   OFFLOAD AND RESUME

   When the Transporter arrives, hover close and activate the cargo grid via Alt + E. Transfer ore systematically. Once done, immediately return to your last deposit or scan for a fresh one. Minimise downtime.

   Mole pilots can connect directly to a Caterpillar or Hercules via the cargo interface for faster offloading — no EVA required when ships are properly positioned

* Prices fluctuate by location and demand. Always check refinery prices before mining.