MINING / VISUAL FIELD GUIDE
Your first mining run, one action at a time
Find a rock, read the mining HUD, control its energy, recognise a clean fracture and bring your first ore home.
01
STEP 1 OF 19
What you are trying to do
Fracture means splitting a deposit into smaller pieces. Extraction means collecting a suitable piece into your ship. A beam touching a rock does not necessarily mean you are doing the right one.
For your first outing, aim to finish one complete cycle and return with some material. SC Nomads recommends learning the controls before chasing a full hold or a valuable deposit.
The keyboard controls below are our latest known defaults, checked 13 October 2026. Your custom bindings take priority. The genuine CIG HUD images are older examples; use their labels to learn the concepts, not their exact screen positions.
- I can explain the difference between breaking a rock and collecting it.
- My first goal is one controlled cycle, not maximum profit.
Read the complete guide as text
The same published instructions in one readable view. Use the steps above for controls and practice panels.
What you are trying to do
Fracture means splitting a deposit into smaller pieces. Extraction means collecting a suitable piece into your ship. A beam touching a rock does not necessarily mean you are doing the right one.
For your first outing, aim to finish one complete cycle and return with some material. SC Nomads recommends learning the controls before chasing a full hold or a valuable deposit.
The keyboard controls below are our latest known defaults, checked 13 October 2026. Your custom bindings take priority. The genuine CIG HUD images are older examples; use their labels to learn the concepts, not their exact screen positions.
- I can explain the difference between breaking a rock and collecting it.
- My first goal is one controlled cycle, not maximum profit.
Choose a seat that can actually mine
The Prospector is a practical solo learning option. A MOLE separates flying from mining: its pilot cannot run a mining laser, and each active laser needs someone in that mining seat. If you are alone, expect to reposition from the cockpit and then return to the laser station.
The Golem has an integrated head and two sub-item slots. Do not buy a different Prospector head expecting to fit it to the Golem. Bring a working ship first; buying every upgrade is not a prerequisite for this lesson.
- I know which seat controls the laser.
- I have a return plan and enough time to unload.
Field note: SC Nomads practice plan: borrow a ship or join its owner for one cycle before deciding what to buy.
Try the solo station change before paying for upgrades
A solo MOLE can use one mining station after positioning from the pilot seat. You cannot leave one beam running while moving to the next. More installed lasers therefore do not multiply a single operator into a full crew.
Measure your actual seat-change workflow
Safely parked, walk from the pilot seat to the mining station you intend to use and back. Check helmet requirements, doors and the path you can reach with your equipment.
Expected result: You know how long you will leave flight controls unattended and can return without searching.
If it did not work: If the route is awkward, try a crew session before buying more modules. A different head will not shorten the walk.
Test position before committing to the rock
At a safe, clear target, stop and observe whether your position remains usable before leaving the pilot seat. When alone, stop mining and return to flight controls as soon as distance or aim becomes unsuitable.
Expected result: You have a deliberate point at which to reposition instead of chasing a moving target with the beam.
If it did not work: On a windy surface, use a dedicated pilot or move to calmer conditions. The reported drift caveat below is a reason to test, not a guarantee that every ship will drift.
Field note: With two people, one can maintain position while the other learns the mining readouts. Rotate roles after a completed deposit so both learn the full loop.
Keep these controls within reach
LMB means left mouse button. Left Alt + LMB means hold the left Alt key while clicking, then release. A tap and a hold can perform different actions.
Open your actual bindings if a key differs
Open Options, then Keybindings. Select Keyboard / Mouse and open Advanced Controls Customization. Check Vehicles - Mining and the seat/operator-mode actions.
Expected result: You can read the binding assigned to the action, rather than guessing from a video.
If it did not work: For a stick or throttle, select that device instead. Keep your existing custom layout; do not reset it just to follow this page.
Enter mining mode
Mining Mode Toggle
Once positioned safely in a mining-capable seat and SCM mode, tap M.
Expected result: Mining information appears. Find the mode name before operating the beam.
If it did not work: If you still see a different operator mode, check the seat, master mode and assigned mining-mode binding.
Start or stop the beam
Fire Mining Laser (Toggle)
A short click toggles the beam. The stop check is whether the beam actually disappears.
Expected result: The beam changes between on and off.
If it did not work: If your input acts differently, check Fire Mining Laser in your own profile. Do not rely on a low power number as proof the laser is off.
Change the laser task
Switch Mining Laser (Toggle)
With the beam off, hold Left Alt and click LMB to change between fracture and extraction.
Expected result: The displayed task changes. Read it before firing.
If it did not work: Use the binding menu if nothing changes. Some older guides show RMB; this lesson uses the newer vehicle control.
Adjust power
Increase / Decrease Mining Laser Power
While operating the mining laser, scroll up to raise power and down to lower it.
Expected result: The laser power or throttle readout changes.
If it did not work: If the wheel changes another control, return to mining mode and check your mining power binding.
Find a deposit, then approach it deliberately
A ping helps you find candidates. It is not a guarantee that every contact suits your ship. Leave yourself room to slow down and inspect one target.
Send a search ping
Activate Ping (Hold & Release)
Hold and release Tab, then look for the returned contacts.
Expected result: Nearby contacts appear or refresh.
If it did not work: If no ping occurs, inspect Flight - Radar > Activate Ping. The latest extracted default distinguishes Tab ping from V scanning mode.
Open the scanner when you need closer inspection
Scanning Mode
Tap V to enter scanning mode, then aim at a candidate while approaching at a controlled speed.
Expected result: The scanner view replaces the previous operator view.
If it did not work: If V does something else, inspect the operator-mode binding. Return to M for the mining steps below.
Inspect the candidate
Activate Scanning
In scanning mode, hold LMB on the target. Release when you have the information you need.
Expected result: The selected contact provides information as the scan completes.
If it did not work: This is a scanning-mode input. In mining mode, LMB operates the laser instead. Confirm the current mode before clicking.
Field note: Pinging can reveal your presence. Choose a practice location where you can afford to concentrate on the lesson.
Read this rock, not just its name
Enter mining mode and hold the reticle on the deposit until its information appears. Read the material mix and difficulty information before starting. No single throttle percentage is a recipe for every rock.
- I can name the material I want.
- I have read the target information before firing.
- Composition
- Which materials make up this deposit, and their proportions.
- Resistance
- How strongly this rock resists energy from the mining laser.
- Instability
- A warning to pay attention to how erratically the charge behaves. Judge the movement you actually see before increasing power further.
- Quality
- A separate material attribute used by crafting. It is not the percentage of that material in a rock.
Example: how to get Iron Ore
The extracted Iron (Ore) reference lists it as ship-mineable in Stanton, Pyro and Nyx. Wala and microTech are two Stanton leads in that dated data, not guaranteed deposits or promises about your current server. This is a ship-mining example; do not set out with only a hand tool or ROC expecting it to work the same way.
Go to a listed area with a mining-capable ship and an operable mining seat. Ping for candidates, scan one, and read its material name and composition. Keep searching until the target information actually shows Iron (Ore). The appearance of a rock or a location name is not proof that you found Iron.
Use the fracture and extraction steps below on a suitable deposit. Confirm that collected Iron (Ore) appears in your ship storage before leaving. Iron (Ore) is raw material; the source lists refined Iron as a different result. If a contract or buyer asks for Iron, read its exact item, amount, quality and delivery requirements before refining or selling.
Search and inspect a candidate
Ping, Scanning Mode, Activate Scanning
From a suitable mining ship, ping, enter scanning mode and complete an inspection of one candidate. Read the material name on the current HUD.
Expected result: The target explicitly identifies Iron (Ore), or you reject it and search again.
If it did not work: A contact without a confirmed material name is only a lead. Check your mode and scanner binding before assuming the location has no Iron.
Confirm the material you collected
After a controlled fracture, switch to extraction and check the ship cargo result before choosing a refinery or sale route.
Expected result: Your ship storage records raw Iron (Ore) with a quantity; you know whether the next task needs raw ore or refined Iron.
If it did not work: If storage did not change, revisit the fragment state, extraction mode and available capacity. Do not infer collection from a vanished target alone.
Field note: The extracted location list can change with a game update. Report a dated correction through this guide if a listed lead or control no longer matches your build.
Confirm Fracture mode before you fire
Fracture mode prepares the deposit for breaking. Extraction mode collects suitable fragments. Use the displayed task name, not the colour of the beam alone, to decide which one is active.
Select the breaking task
Switch Mining Laser (Toggle)
If the HUD says Extraction or Gather, turn the beam off and toggle once. If it already says Fracture, leave it there.
Expected result: Fracture is the selected task before you activate the beam.
If it did not work: If the task is unclear, stop and read the mining controls or HUD prompts. Repeated blind clicks can leave you back in the original mode.
Power is your input. Rock energy is the response.
Before practising, point out each indicator below on your HUD. Saying their names aloud is a useful learning drill. Do not substitute the throttle percentage for the rock-energy indicator.
- Laser power / throttle
- Your current output setting. This is the control you change with the wheel.
- Rock energy / charge
- The target response you must watch while adjusting that output.
- Optimal charge window
- The marked working band, usually green. Your goal is to keep the rock-energy indicator inside this band.
- Fracture progress
- Progress toward a successful break. It is a different measurement from rock energy.
- Overcharge
- The danger region above the working band, with a separate warning or progress indicator. It is not an extra-success zone.
Field note: The learning widget is an illustration, not Star Citizen physics or an exact copy of its HUD. Its numbers are not settings to copy into the game.
Start gently and prove that stop works
SC Nomads practice drill: begin with the target stable, the beam off and your attention on the power readout. Test one small input at a time.
Start the fracture beam
Fire Mining Laser (Toggle)
Tap LMB once. Read the actual power setting immediately rather than assuming it reset to a particular number.
Expected result: A beam reaches the intended target and the mining HUD remains visible.
If it did not work: If it strikes something else or the energy races upward, toggle it off. Reposition before another attempt.
Check your emergency stop
For this first drill, tap again to stop, check that the beam is gone, then restart only when ready.
Expected result: You know which input stops your beam and what off looks like.
If it did not work: If the beam persists, resolve the binding or input-mode problem before attempting a fracture.
Raise power by watching what changes
The control drill is: make a small change, observe, then choose the next change. Scrolling continuously gives you less information about which setting caused the response.
Add a little power
Scroll upward a little. Check that power changed, then watch the rock-energy movement.
Expected result: You can tell whether the target energy is rising, falling or staying about level.
If it did not work: No power-readout change suggests an input or mode problem. Power changing without a useful rock response calls for a target, alignment and equipment check, not endless scrolling.
Ease off before overshooting
As energy approaches the working band, lower your input if it is climbing too quickly.
Expected result: You enter the band with enough control to make the next correction.
If it did not work: If you cannot control the rise, stop the beam and choose an easier practice target.
Stay in the working window until the break
Once inside the green band, watch direction as well as position: near the top and climbing calls for a different response from near the bottom and falling. Our practice target is a controlled break, not the fastest break.
Make small corrections
Lower power when the charge is climbing toward the upper edge; add a little when it is falling toward the lower edge.
Expected result: Rock energy stays in the working band while the fracture indicator advances.
If it did not work: If the charge keeps swinging beyond your control, stop and reassess. Do not compensate with larger and larger wheel movements.
Recognise completion
Watch fracture progress finish, shown as 100% in the reference HUD, and the deposit break. Stop the beam and inspect the new pieces.
Expected result: The original deposit has split into fragments. That visible break is your success check.
If it did not work: A moment in the green band is not completion. If nothing broke, check whether fracture progress actually finished before collecting.
- I tracked rock energy separately from power.
- I saw a completed fracture rather than assuming one.
Recognise danger and stop adding energy
A charge indicator above the working band, a red danger region or an increasing overcharge warning means you are overcharging. Do not wait for a dramatic visual explosion to identify the mistake.
Reduce or stop
Reduce power promptly. If the rise is uncontrolled, toggle the beam off and verify it stopped.
Expected result: You stop feeding the dangerous rise; inspect the charge before deciding whether to resume.
If it did not work: Stopping is not a guarantee that an already overcharged rock is safe. Keep clear of a suspected imminent blast and abandon the attempt if necessary.
Field note: Do not practise by deliberately filling the overcharge indicator. Use the illustration above to learn the warning without risking a ship.
Inspect the pieces, then collect a suitable one
A large fragment may need another fracture. Select each piece and read its state. CIG reference images use purple for extractable pieces and yellow for pieces that still need breaking.
Choose extraction
Switch Mining Laser (Toggle)
With the beam off, select an extractable fragment and toggle to Extraction or Gather.
Expected result: The HUD names the collecting task.
If it did not work: If the fragment is still too large, return to Fracture and repeat the controlled process.
Collect and verify
Activate the beam on the selected piece. Watch the collection and cargo readings, then stop when finished.
Expected result: Material is collected and your cargo information changes.
If it did not work: If nothing moves, check the selected mode, target state and available capacity before firing again.
- The HUD is in the collection task.
- I can see material in the ship, not only a missing rock.
Know what an upgrade changes before fitting it
A head is the installed beam equipment. A module modifies that head; available slots depend on the head. Passive modules and limited-use active modules are different purchases. A gadget is placed on the deposit itself.
SC Nomads learning method: change one item, write down the old and new effect, and repeat a comparable practice attempt. A more expensive loadout is not evidence that you understand its tradeoffs.
Use an active module only deliberately
Activate Mining Module (Slot 1 / 2 / 3)
Match the numbered slot to the installed active item and read its effect before triggering it.
Expected result: The intended fitted module responds. Availability and charges come from your current equipment.
If it did not work: An empty slot or passive item is not a failed laser control. Do not repeatedly consume a module while diagnosing another problem.
Find the high/low control
Toggle Laser Beam (High / low)
If your fitted head exposes this option, check its displayed state and compare its response during a safe practice attempt.
Expected result: The head state changes if the equipment supports it.
If it did not work: Do not assume every head has the same range or response. If the control is unavailable, check the fitted head instead of buying a random module.
Finish the trip, not just the rock
Plan a refinery stop for raw ore; gems have a different sell-as-collected route. A hauler or escort can become part of the operation. The MOLE and Prospector do not refine their own ore.
At a refinery, compare the displayed fee, duration and expected output before accepting a work order. These are tradeoffs, not one universally best recipe. Allow for the later collection and selling trip.
Record the job before leaving
Note the station, selected material, work order and completion time shown by the terminal.
Expected result: You know where to return and what will be ready.
If it did not work: If the terminal cannot see the material, stop and check its required source inventory or ship. Do not submit a different job hoping it will fix the missing cargo.
Check the selling plan
Confirm that your destination accepts the exact processed commodity and that you can transport the output.
Expected result: The return trip has a destination and a workable cargo plan.
If it did not work: Prices and demand change. Treat a guide price as research, not a promise that a terminal will buy the entire load.
- I know where my ore or refinery work order is.
- I have allowed time and cargo space for collection.
Keep quantity, composition and quality separate
Crafting uses material quality on a 0 to 1000 scale. A listing for quality 975 Iron describes quality; it does not mean a rock contains 97.5% Iron or that the seller has 975 SCU.
SC Nomads example: when sharing or listing a haul, record material name, actual quantity and unit, quality shown by the game, pickup location and patch. Leave an unknown value unknown rather than inferring it from appearance.
- I can state quantity with its unit.
- My quality claim comes from the game, not a price or guess.
Practise with a crew without losing control
The MOLE needs occupied mining stations for simultaneous beams. A pilot can maintain position while miners work, so decide who flies and who operates each head before departure.
Our suggested crew drill: name one person to call the target and say start, reduce and stop. Everyone confirms stop before changing target. Agree ore ownership, refinery fees and the payout method before the run, then swap roles so the beginner learns rather than only watches.
- Everyone knows the target and the stop call.
- We agreed what happens to the material and proceeds.
Check the practical limits before another run
Player report, 29 August 2026: MOLE operators describe wind moving the ship while they are away from the pilot seat. This is not an SC Nomads reproduction. Test the hover, avoid bad weather or keep a pilot aboard; do not assume leaving a ship hovering is harmless.
Official 4.10.2 known issue: mining gadgets cannot be placed while in EVA, with no workaround listed. Do not make an asteroid run depend on a gadget you cannot attach.
M does not show a mining HUD: Check that this ship and occupied seat can mine, that SCM is active and that M is still assigned to mining mode.
My wheel changes something other than laser power: Check the current operator mode, then the mining power action for your selected input device.
The beam is visible but I cannot control the rock: Stop. Recheck task, target, alignment and fitted equipment. Choose a more manageable practice deposit rather than forcing this one.
The rock split but extraction does nothing: Inspect this fragment: it may need another fracture. Then check extraction mode, collection range and remaining storage.
The guide key or HUD cue is inaccurate: Propose a correction with your exact LIVE/PTU build, ship, input device and whether the binding is custom. Include a clear image without private account information.
Field note: Source checked is not gameplay verified. Peer review should confirm both the action and its visible result in a named build.
Sources & guide information
Sources checked 14 October 2026. Latest-known defaults; gameplay review on your build is welcome.. Reference information, not a claim of current-patch playtesting.
CIG Industrial Gameplay Guide, checked 13 October 2026RSI Mining Basics, updated 8 June 2026; legacy HUD illustrationsSubliminal: extracted CIG binding data, 4.9 LIVE snapshot checked against 4.10 PTUBinding snapshot provenance: checked 22 August 2026RSI: Set up keybindings for your peripherals, updated 17 February 2026CIG MOLE Q&A: independent mining stations, 21 December 2019CIG Drake Golem Q&A: integrated head and module slotsCIG Crafting Gameplay Guide: material qualityRSI Daily Life in the Verse, updated 27 July 2026RSI Alpha 4.10.2 Known Issues, checked 13 October 2026Firsthand MOLE discussion, 29 August 2026; player reportStar Citizen Wiki extracted Iron (Ore) deposit reference, checked 17 October 2026