Mining

Mining is the extraction of minerals or other materials that are found on various planets, moons, and asteroids that can be sold for profit.

Minerals that can be obtained through mining include Agricium, Aluminium, Aphorite, Beryl, Bexalite, Borase, Copper, Corundum, Diamond, Dolivine, Gold, Hadanite, Hephaestanite, Inert Material, Laranite, Quartz, Taranite, Titanium, and Tungsten. Soon to include, Quantanium.

Mining was introduced in Alpha 3.2.0 alongside the first mining vessel, Prospector by MISC.

Techniques

Miner using a Pyro RYT Multitool with an OreBit Mining Attachment in the extraction of a harvestable mineral.

Mining techniques can be separated into two common excavation types: surface mining and sub-surface mining.

Surface mining

Surface mining is the extraction of any minerals from the surface of a planet, moon, and asteroid. Surface mining is the most common type of mining done within the universe for which this is where most minerals lie. Often using the Ship Mining technique.

Ship mining

Ship mining is a technique using a ship's mining head for the prospect, fracture, and extraction of a mineral deposit and is frequently used when surface mining.

Sub-surface mining

Sub-surface mining is the extraction of any minerals from the underground. Harvestable minerals are often the only minerals found while sub-surface mining. FPS mining is the most commonly used technique for this excavation type.

FPS mining (Hand mine)

First-Person Shooter mining is otherwise known as, "FPS mining" or "Hand mine", is a mining technique without requiring the use of any dedicated mining ship. This technique is often used to mine harvestable minerals and is most commonly used within, but not limited to, sub-surface mining. FPS mining is currently only available by using the Pyro RYT Multitool with an OreBit Mining Attachment and often accompanied by a MacFlex Rucksack Core.

Equipment

Dedicated and durable mining equipment is essential to the success of any miner. Using inefficient or incapable gear will often result in working inefficient and/or increasingly difficult for large mass mineral deposits.

The MISC Prospector in its fracturing stage of surface mining.

Mining ships

MISC Prospector

The Prospector has long been the preferred ship for solo miners and surveyors throughout the universe. Featuring MISC’s sleek design sensibility, a bevy of high-tech mining tools, and dedicated storage pods for extracted resources, this utilitarian powerhouse perfectly balances form and functionality.Template:RSI

ARGO Mole

A mining crew walking towards an ARGO Mole.

ARGO’s pragmatic no-nonsense approach to ship design is celebrated in the unmistakable silhouette of the MOLE. Just one look at this machine and you know it means business. Tap into your full potential with the combined force of ARGO’s patented trilateral mining system. The MOLE has a total of 24 mineral pods, each holding 12 SCU. Eight pods are usable at one time – when they’re full, either head home or jettison them for collection by another vessel and carry on mining. Three independently controlled articulated extraction stations allow for maximum power and near-limitless versatility. The MOLE lives by the adage ’many hands make for light work’.Template:RSI

RSI Orion

The RSI Orion conducting heavy mining operations in deep-space.

Roberts Space Industries’ goal has always been to make the stars available to individual Citizens. Now, with the RSI Orion mining platform, RSI is letting individuals take over a process formerly controlled by mega-corporations. The Orion’s features include high-grade turret-mounted tractor beam arrays, plenty of mineral storage and a cabin designed by the team that brought you the Aurora and Constellation.Template:RSI

Mining process

Before a mineral is sold to the market, it must first undergo a four-stage process which includes: Prospecting, Fracturing, Extraction, and Refinement.

Prospecting

The first step to any mining operation requires the discovery of mineral to occur. Using a ship's dedicated scanner, a mining crew would search by "pinging" the area for any mineral deposits. If sub-surface mining, this stage is done without the use of any equipment other than a miners' observation and knowledge of harvestable minerals. Once a mineral deposit has been discovered, a further in-depth scan is done to determine the composition of the deposit. Once minerals are confirmed and merited, the next stage begins.

Fracturing

Mineral deposits consist of very dense rock and are often large in mass. Before a rock is able to be extracted, it must first be broken down into smaller fragments. This stage is done by using a dedicated ship's mining head or hand-tool and emitting a powerful laser into the rock to increase its energy level high enough to cause the rock to fracture. This process is very delicate for emitting too high of a laser's energy into the rock will cause an explosion that can seriously harm or cause death to the mining crew. Once the rock is successfully broken into smaller fragments, the next stage can occur.

Extraction

This process is when a mining crew, after a rocks fracture, breaks down the fragments for transport. This is done by using a dedicated ship's extraction beam which will automatically breakdown the fragment and simultaneously move the rubble to its storage bay. If the FPS mining technique was used, this process is done by simply moving the mineral into a miner's storage compartment. The extract raw minerals are then usually sold after this stage to various landing zones.

Refinement

The final stage in a mining operation is to remove the impurities and unwanted elements from the extracted rock in order to be sold. This stage is often done by major landing zones but can be done by the mining crew for greater returns using an onboard refinery as within the RSI Orion.