Star Citizen Mining Guide — Extraction, Lasers & Refining (4.5)
Star Citizen mining guide: hand, vehicle, and ship mining, reading rock composition, managing laser power and instability, and refining ore (4.5).
Visual Walkthrough
Mining Overview in Alpha 4.5
- Mining involves extracting mineral ores and gems in the Stanton and Pyro systems. - Includes four tiers of scale: Hand (FPS), Power Suit (ATLS GEO), Ground Vehicle (ROC), and Industrial Ship (Prospector/MOLE). - Alpha 4.5 focus: Economic rebalance for refining and the introduction of the ATLS GEO power suit.
Environmental Preparation
- Specialized EVA suits are required for hazardous planetary conditions. - Extreme Heat (Aberdeen, Pyro I): Use the Pembroke EVA Suit. - Extreme Cold (microTech, Euterpe): Use the Novikov EVA Suit.
Handheld Mining Tools
- Multi-Tool + OreBit Attachment: Essential for cave and surface-level FPS gems. - Tractor Beam (MaxLift or Multi-tool): Necessary for moving 1/8 SCU to 2 SCU containers and performing 'Pod Swaps.'
Mining Vehicles and Equipment Classes
- Argo ATLS GEO (Power Suit): Cave/precision mining with a detachable 1 SCU Pod. - Greycat ROC (Ground Vehicle): Surface gem mining with 0.8 SCU internal storage. - MISC Prospector (Solo Ship): Industrial ore mining with 32 SCU capacity. - ARGO MOLE (Multi-crew Ship): Industrial ore mining with 96 SCU capacity.
Ground Mining: Discovery & Analysis
- Scanning: Activate scanning mode (TAB) while flying below 2000m. - Identification: Look for Diamond Icons on the HUD. Gems appear at shorter ranges than ores. - Analysis: Scan clusters to identify composition. Hadanite (Purple) is the highest value gem.
Ground Mining: Fracturing & Extraction
- Fracturing: Apply laser energy to keep the rock in the 'Green Zone.' Avoid the 'Red Zone' to prevent explosions. - ATLS GEO Power Modes: Toggle with Left Alt + 4. Low Power for cave gems; High Power for surface gems. - Extraction: Switch modes (M or Right-Click) to pull shattered gems into the vehicle's storage.
Logistics: The 'Ore Pod' Swap
- Unlock Ports: Press Right Alt + K to unlock vehicle components. - Extraction: Use a tractor beam to remove full pods from the vehicle (ROC rear or ATLS side). - Storage: Place full pods in a ship's cargo hold and replace them with empty pods to continue operation.
Ship Mining & Alpha 4.5 Economic Rework
- Mining Focus: Ships extract industrial ores (Quantanium, Gold, Bexalite) for refining. - Yield Change: Refining yield is reduced to ~45% (down from 85%). - Price Adjustment: Refined commodity sale prices increased 2x to 4x to compensate for lower volume. - Benefit: Higher value density allows smaller cargo ships to be effective ore transporters.
Primary Resource Locations: Stanton System
- Aberdeen (Hurston): Highest Hadanite concentration. Requires Pembroke suit. - Daymar (Crusader): Balanced mix of Dolivine and Hadanite. - Cellin (Crusader): High Aphorite concentration.
Primary Resource Locations: Pyro System
- Pyro IV: High density of Hadenite (Pyro variant) and Hadanite. - Pyro I: High-value metals (Gold, Tungsten). Extreme solar radiation hazard. - Monox (Pyro II): Diverse minerals with frequent environmental hazards.
Selling Gems (Unrefined)
- Gems do not require processing and can be sold immediately. - Sale Points: Mining Outposts (HDMS), Major Landing Zone TDD terminals, and Admin Offices in space stations.
Selling Industrial Ore (Refined)
- Step 1: Deliver raw ore to a Refinery Deck (e.g., CRU-L1). - Step 2: Select method. Dinox (Slow/High Yield) or Ferron (Fast/Low Yield). - Step 3: Collect refined materials from the Freight Elevator using a cargo ship. - Step 4: Transport and sell at a city TDD (Lorville, Area18, Orison).
Technical Safety & Engineering
- Resource Network: Mining lasers now consume significant power. Unbalanced networks can cause laser sub-system fires. - Overcharge Risk: Filling the Red Bar results in a catastrophic explosion that destroys gems and damages the vehicle. - Pod Management: Physicalized pods must be placed on the Freight Elevator grid to be recognized for sale.
Quick Reference
Environmental Preparation
Ensure correct armor for the environment: Use the Pembroke EVA Suit for extreme heat (Aberdeen, Pyro I) and the Novikov EVA Suit for extreme cold (MicroTech, Euterpe). Equipping a Multi-Tool with an OreBit attachment is mandatory for FPS mining, while a Tractor Beam is required for logistics and pod swapping.
Vehicle & Suit Selection
Select hardware based on target capacity: Argo ATLS GEO (1 SCU Pod) for precision gems; Greycat ROC (0.8 SCU) or ROC-DS (2.0 SCU) for surface gem clusters; MISC Prospector (32 SCU) for solo industrial mining; ARGO MOLE (96 SCU) for multi-crew industrial operations.
Ground Mining & Pod Logistics
Locate diamond icons via scan (TAB). Maintain laser energy in the Green Zone; avoid the Red Bar to prevent explosions. Use the ATLS GEO Power Mode Toggle (Alt+4) for precision. For extended sessions, unlock ports (Right Alt+K) and use a tractor beam to swap full pods for empty ones.
Industrial Loop & Alpha 4.5 Economics
Ship mining focuses on ores (Gold, Quantanium). Current yields are reduced to ~45%, but refined sale prices are increased 2x to 4x. Refine ore at stations (e.g., CRU-L1) using methods like Dinox or Ferron. Collect refined goods from Freight Elevators using cargo ships for transport to TDD terminals.
Primary Resource Locations
Stanton System: Aberdeen (High-concentration Hadanite), Daymar (Gems), Cellin (Aphorite). Pyro System: Pyro IV (Hadenite/Hadanite variants), Pyro I (High-value Gold/Tungsten), Monox (Diverse minerals). High-heat areas require specialized suits.
Technical Safety & Hazards
Mining lasers now consume significant power; monitor the Resource Network to prevent component fires. Catastrophic explosions occur if rocks are overcharged. Ensure physicalized pods are placed directly on freight elevator grids to register for sale in Alpha 4.5.