Mining is several different activities.
Laser, core, subsurface, surface-deposit, and Rhino surface mining use different tools and different search patterns. Decide what you are trying to extract before outfitting.
Mongrel Field Manual
Mining Field Manual
Choose the right mining method, fit the right tools, run an efficient extraction loop, and understand the new Rhino surface-mining system from scouting through rig recovery.
Measure the whole loop.
A rich rock or deposit is not automatically a good site. Travel time, collection speed, rig count, terrain, sell distance, demand, and repeatability determine the real value of a route.
Start Here
Choose the Mining Method
Each method answers a different question. Pick the loop first, then fit around it.
| Method | What you mine | Key tools | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laser mining | Bulk fragments from ordinary asteroids. | Mining lasers, A-rated prospector, collectors, refinery, DSS. | Steady high-volume commodities such as Platinum where good ring conditions exist. |
| Core mining | Motherlode asteroids with fissures and interior deposits. | Pulse Wave Analyser, prospector, Seismic Charge Launcher, Abrasion Blaster, collectors, refinery. | Interactive high-value extraction; lower rock frequency but larger individual finds. |
| Subsurface mining | Subsurface deposits inside asteroids. | Pulse Wave Analyser, prospector, Sub-surface Displacement Missile, collectors, refinery. | Targeted deposits found while advanced-mining rocks are being worked. |
| Surface deposits on asteroids | Exposed deposits attached to asteroid surfaces. | Pulse Wave Analyser, prospector, Abrasion Blaster, collectors. | Supplementing core/subsurface runs. |
| Rhino surface mining | Planetary Mining Locations and their surface deposits. | Rhino, Large Planetary Vehicle Hangar, DSS, Planetary Mineral Scanner, reusable mining rigs, onboard refinery. | Planetary commodity extraction and repeatable scouted sites. |
Ship Preparation
Outfit Around the Bottleneck
The best miner is the ship that keeps the extraction tool working while collectors, refinery, cargo, and distributor keep up.
A-rated Prospector
For asteroid laser mining, use an A-rated Prospector Limpet Controller. Prospectors identify asteroid contents and materially increase laser-mining yield while attached and targeted.
Enough Collectors
Collectors should clear fragments fast enough that your lasers are not waiting on the floor of the cargo scoop. Launch them without a collectible targeted so they remain active rather than making a one-shot trip.
Refinery
Each bin can hold progress toward a different commodity. If you are targeting one or two commodities, a huge refinery may be unnecessary; if you accept many materials, more bins reduce micromanagement.
Power Distributor
Laser miners often live at four pips to WEP. A strong distributor reduces mining-laser downtime and usually matters more to extraction rate than adding another laser the distributor cannot sustain.
Limpet rule of thumb: leave with a generous supply. Running out ends the session; discarding a few limpets to make room for valuable cargo is cheap.
Asteroid Mining
Laser Mining Workflow
Simple does not mean mindless. Most efficiency comes from prospecting discipline, collection geometry, and avoiding dead travel.
1Find the ring
Use the DSS on the planetary ring and choose the relevant hotspot or known mining area.
2Prospect first
Fire an A-rated prospector at candidate rocks and target it before committing lasers.
3Position close
Park near the asteroid with the cargo hatch/collectors facing the fragment stream so limpets travel less.
4Mine continuously
Keep WEP supplied and let collectors work while you watch refinery/cargo and asteroid depletion.
5Move deliberately
Use the planet, hotspot marker, or another fixed reference to keep moving in one direction rather than circling depleted rocks.
6Sell intelligently
Check current market demand and price before committing a full hold to a distant buyer.
Hotspots are probability tools, not guarantees. A hotspot raises the chance/concentration of its named commodity; it does not make every asteroid good. Prospecting remains the decision point.
Advanced Asteroid Mining
Core, Subsurface & Surface Deposits
The Pulse Wave Analyser helps locate candidate asteroids, but the Prospector Limpet confirms what is actually there.
Core Mining
Identify a motherlode, prospect it, target fissures, and place Seismic Charges until the charge meter reaches the optimal blue zone. Back away before detonation, then use the Abrasion Blaster on exposed interior deposits.
Subsurface Deposits
Use the Sub-surface Displacement Missile on a prospected subsurface deposit. Hold the trigger and release it through the moving extraction window to pull material from the deposit.
Surface Deposits
Target exposed deposits revealed after prospecting and knock them free with the Abrasion Blaster. These are common supplements to core work.
Pulse Wave Analyser
PWA glow identifies asteroids with advanced-mining features; it does not tell you the exact commodity. Experienced core miners also learn shape and glow patterns, but always confirm with a prospector.
Core safety: once charges are set, do not sit beside the asteroid waiting for the timer. Get clear, keep shields up, and return after detonation.
New Surface Mining
Rhino Surface Mining
The Rhino is a purpose-built surface-mining SRV with a Planetary Mineral Scanner, Mining Rig Deployment Module, onboard refinery, multi-crew support, and 72 tonnes of cargo capacity.
Cargo72 tCurrent post-release specification; older early reports may show outdated values.Active rigsUp to 6Current field demonstrations support six simultaneous rigs.Rig outputUp to 12 chunksRaised from 9 in update 4.4.1.1.Find sitesDSS the bodyPlanetary Mining Locations are revealed on eligible landable bodies.
Complete Rhino loop
1Map the body
Use the Detailed Surface Scanner to reveal Planetary Mining Locations. Not every landable body has one.
2Select a location
Choose a location containing the commodity you want and approach terrain suitable for deployment/recovery.
3Deploy the Rhino
The Rhino uses a Large Planetary Vehicle Hangar and is deployed from the carrier ship while hovering over suitable ground rather than the ordinary landed-SRV hatch workflow.
4Scan deposits
Use the Planetary Mineral Scanner inside the mining location to reveal deposits and their valid placement footprints.
5Place rigs
Assign the Mining Rig Deployment Module to a fire group, deploy within valid footprints, then move on while rigs extract.
6Collect & refine
Manage rigs through Contacts, collect completed output with the Rhino, let the onboard refinery turn chunks into commodity cargo, then transfer cargo to the ship before leaving.
New-system caution
Rhino surface mining launched in September 2026 and is still being mapped by the community. Frontier has confirmed that deposit density, capacity, regeneration, temperature, commodity weighting, rig efficiency, and microresource frequency are balance factors, but the exact formulas are not public. Treat precise efficiency claims as field observations until verified.
Rhino Operations
How the Mining Rigs Work
Rigs are reusable automated extractors. A good operator keeps several working while scouting the next valid placement.
| Step | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Arm | Put the Mining Rig Deployment Module in a fire group before leaving the ship. | If it is not bound, you cannot deploy rigs normally. |
| Locate | Pulse/use the Rhino mineral scanner inside a Planetary Mining Location. | Deposits and valid footprints are local to the mining location. |
| Place | Stop inside a valid footprint on terrain that gives the rig room to unfold. | Terrain and spacing can invalidate a placement. |
| Parallelize | Move to another deposit while the first rig works; operate several rigs at once. | Surface-mining throughput comes from parallel extraction, not watching one rig. |
| Monitor | Use the Contacts panel to manage deployed rigs and their status. | The rig itself becomes a managed contact after deployment. |
| Collect | Command/prepare completed output for collection and drive over the folded collection point. | Output enters the Rhino's refinery/cargo workflow. |
| Recover | Prepare the rig for recovery and drive over the folded rig before leaving. | Current field reports show abandoned deployed rigs can be lost/self-destruct when the instance is left. |
Six-rig sites are especially valuable because they can keep the Rhino's full rig inventory working in parallel. Richness still matters, but a deposit/site that physically supports more useful rig placements can outperform a richer-looking site with poor placement capacity.
Veteran Fieldcraft
Evaluate a Surface Site, Not Just a Commodity
For repeat mining, record enough information that another CMDR can return to the same location and know whether it is worth the trip.
| Record | What it tells you | Good sign |
|---|---|---|
| Body + signal/location | Where the Planetary Mining Location is. | Easy to identify and reacquire. |
| Commodity | What the deposit actually produces. | Matches current demand or squad need. |
| Coordinates | Lets another CMDR return to the exact tested deposit cluster. | Repeatable position, not “somewhere in signal #4.” |
| Rig count | How many rigs can be operated effectively at/around the deposit. | Four to six useful rigs; six is a standout. |
| Terrain | Deployment/recovery difficulty and driving time. | Flat/open enough for reliable rig placement and ship recovery. |
| Nearby deposits | Whether a cluster can keep rigs busy without long drives. | Multiple worthwhile footprints within a few kilometres. |
| Output / cycle notes | Observed practical productivity. | Consistent output across repeat visits. |
| Market/logistics | Distance to carrier or buyer, demand and unload time. | Extraction value survives the trip to market. |
Preferred-site principle: keep one tested “go-to” site per commodity, but retain the full scouting record. A patch, market shift, depleted deposit, or different ship/carrier location can make the second-best site the better operational choice.
The Other Half of Mining
Selling & Carrier Logistics
Mining profit is not finished when the cargo hold fills.
Check demand
High displayed price is only useful if the market has enough demand for your load. Large deliveries can be punished when the ship's cargo is a significant fraction of local demand.
Use carriers as buffers
A fleet carrier lets a group mine near the source, consolidate cargo, and move the bulk shipment later. It separates extraction time from sell-route time.
Know pad limits
If the best buyer is a medium-pad station, your largest hauler may not be able to use it. Factor transfer ships and extra trips into the real route value.
Do not chase stale prices
Market tools depend on commander reports. Check age as well as price, especially before moving a carrier or a very large cargo load.
Quick Reference
Common Mining Problems
Fast checks before assuming the game or your build is broken.
| Problem | Check |
|---|---|
| Laser yield seems poor | Confirm an A-rated prospector is attached and targeted; verify you are actually in the desired hotspot/area. |
| Collectors die immediately | Do not target a fragment/canister when launching general-purpose collectors. |
| PWA asteroid glows but has nothing useful | PWA is only a candidate finder. Prospect the asteroid to reveal exact deposits/core. |
| Core charge meter overshoots | Stop adding charges; disarm failed charges through Contacts if needed and use fissure/charge strength more deliberately. |
| No Planetary Mining Location | DSS-map the body and confirm that this landable body actually supports the new surface-mining POI. |
| Rhino cannot deploy | Confirm a compatible Large Planetary Vehicle Hangar and suitable hover/terrain position. The Rhino does not use the normal landed-SRV deployment loop. |
| Rhino scanner finds nothing | Make sure you are inside the selected Planetary Mining Location, not merely somewhere on the same body. |
| Rig placement invalid | Move fully into the valid footprint, try flatter terrain, and increase spacing from nearby rigs. |
| Rhino full too quickly | 72 t is the current cargo limit; transfer refined cargo to the ship as part of the mining cycle. |
Sources & living-reference policy
Traditional asteroid-mining mechanics are mature; Rhino surface mining is new and still being verified. The Mongrels manual cross-checks Frontier's September 2026 Rhino update with current field documentation and marks uncertain formulas as field knowledge rather than settled fact.