Mining

Mining is one of the primary ways to earn credits in ASTRA. Extract ores from asteroids and ice from comets, then sell them on the marketplace or refine them into crafting materials.

How to Mine

1. Locate an asteroid or comet - Asteroids are rocky objects; comets have icy trails
2. Approach carefully - Fly within mining range of the target
3. Press E to dock - Your ship will attach and begin mining automatically
4. Watch the extraction - Resources transfer to your cargo as you mine
5. Collect until depleted - When fully mined, the asteroid explodes and your ship is pushed away safely
6. Press E to stop early - You can undock at any time

Resource Types

Ores (from Asteroids)

Resource	Tier	Base Value	Toughness	Color
Iron	T1	5	Normal (1.0x)	Gold
Copper	T2	15	1.2x	Bronze/Orange
Titanium	T3	50	1.5x	Silver
Platinum	T4	200	2.0x	White

Ice (from Comets)

Resource	Tier	Base Value	Color
Water Ice	T1	12	Pale Blue
Ammonia	T2	30	Steel Blue
Methane	T3	80	Cyan
Helium-3	T4	250	Pale Yellow

Gas (from Nebulae)

Resource	Tier	Base Value	Color
Hydrogen	T1	8	Pale Green
Nitrogen	T2	20	Light Blue
Xenon	T3	60	Purple
Antimatter	T4	200	Magenta

Constellation Resources

Higher tier resources spawn more frequently in higher tier constellations. T1 constellations are mostly Iron and Water Ice, while T3-T4 constellations have Titanium, Platinum, and rare ice/gas.

Ore Spawn Rates by Constellation Tier

Constellation Tier	T1 Resources	T2 Resources	T3 Resources	T4 Resources
Tier 1	80%	20%	—	—
Tier 2	30%	50%	20%	—
Tier 3	—	20%	50%	30%
Tier 4	—	—	30%	70%

Asteroid Sizes

Larger asteroids contain more resources but take longer to mine.

Size	Base Health	Resource Yield	Max Miners
Small	40 HP	3-6 units	1
Medium	100 HP	8-15 units	2
Large	250 HP	18-30 units	3
Huge	500 HP	35-60 units	4

Health is multiplied by the resource toughness (e.g., a Medium Platinum asteroid has 100 × 2.0 = 200 HP).

Multi-Player Mining

Larger asteroids support multiple miners simultaneously. Team up with other pilots to extract resources faster!

Mining Tools

Your mining speed depends on your equipped tool. There are three types, each with a different focus:

Laser Drill — Balanced

Good range and efficiency. The all-rounder choice.

Tier	Power	Range	Efficiency
T1	6	100	1.0
T2	9	120	1.1
T3	13	150	1.2
T4	18	180	1.35

Plasma Cutter — Speed

~30% faster mining but shorter range and lower efficiency.

Tier	Power	Range	Efficiency
T1	8	80	0.85
T2	12	100	0.9
T3	17	120	0.95
T4	24	140	1.0

Sonic Drill — Efficiency

Slowest extraction but highest efficiency (more resources per asteroid).

Tier	Power	Range	Efficiency
T1	5	90	1.2
T2	7	110	1.35
T3	10	140	1.5
T4	14	170	1.7

Tool Tier Requirements

Your mining tool must match or exceed the resource tier to mine it:

• T1 tool — Can mine T1 resources (Iron, Water Ice, Hydrogen)
• T2 tool — Can mine T1-T2 resources (adds Copper, Ammonia, Nitrogen)
• T3 tool — Can mine T1-T3 resources (adds Titanium, Methane, Xenon)
• T4 tool — Can mine all resources (adds Platinum, Helium-3, Antimatter)

Mining Tips

• Watch your cargo - Mining stops if your cargo hold is full
• Match your tool tier - You can't mine higher-tier resources without the right tool
• Asteroid respawn - Depleted asteroids eventually regenerate in the constellation
• Stay alert - You're stationary and vulnerable while mining
• Check slots - If an asteroid shows "Occupied", all mining slots are taken
• Comets stop moving - When you dock to mine a comet, it stops until mining ends

Danger

While mining, your ship is stationary and vulnerable to attack. Store valuable items in your bank before long mining sessions in dangerous constellations!

Selling Resources

Dock at any station and access the Marketplace to sell your mined resources. Prices vary between stations based on player supply and demand — shop around for the best deals!

Resources can also be refined at station facilities into crafting materials worth more than raw ores. See Crafting for details.