Laser Mining
EDFM // Mining
Laser mining uses mining lasers, collectors, and a refinery to turn asteroid fragments into cargo.
Laser mining is the most direct mining method: a ship fires mining lasers at a suitable asteroid, uses collector limpets to retrieve fragments, and relies on a Refinery to convert those fragments into cargo.
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Equipment
| Equipment | Group | Slot / mount | Mining role | Methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mining Laser | Extraction hardpoint | Hardpoint | Breaks standard mining fragments from laser-mineable asteroid material. | — |
| Abrasion Blaster | Extraction hardpoint | Hardpoint | Breaks exposed surface deposits from an asteroid. | — |
| Seismic Charge Launcher | Extraction hardpoint | Hardpoint | Places charges into asteroid fissures for core mining. | — |
| Sub-surface Displacement Missile | Extraction hardpoint | Hardpoint | Extracts sub-surface deposits after a prospector identifies a usable deposit. | — |
| Pulse Wave Analyser | Scanner hardpoint utility | Utility-style hardpoint scanner in EDCD outfitting data | Highlights asteroids with notable deposits, especially useful when searching for core candidates. | — |
| Prospector Limpet Controller | Limpet controller | Optional internal | Analyses an asteroid's contents before mining and enables informed target selection. | — |
| Collector Limpet Controller | Limpet controller | Optional internal | Collects fragments, chunks, and canisters so the ship is not scooping by hand. | — |
| Refinery | Processing module | Optional internal | Converts collected mining fragments into whole tonnes of cargo. | — |
| Detailed Surface Scanner | Discovery scanner | Optional internal | Maps planetary rings to reveal hotspots for commodities that can be targeted while mining. | — |
| Cargo Rack | Storage | Optional internal | Carries limpets before mining and refined commodity cargo after mining. | — |
For a basic laser-mining fit, focus on the mining laser, refinery, prospector controller, collector controller, limpets, and enough cargo space to carry both limpets and refined commodities.
Workflow summary
- Map or travel to a suitable ring or hotspot.
- Launch a prospector limpet at candidate asteroids before spending time on them.
- Mine useful asteroids with mining lasers while keeping collector limpets active.
- Watch refinery bins and cargo capacity so fragments do not block the process.
- Before selling, check current market demand and prices rather than relying on old route advice.
Related Field Procedures
- How to Laser Mine (Draft) — Extract surface fragments from asteroids with mining lasers, collect them with limpets, and refine useful commodities.