SpaceCraft First Base: Why You Can't Place Anything (2026)

Your SpaceCraft first base kit is sitting in your inventory, you are standing on a planet, and nothing happens. You can't drag the kit onto the hotbar and you can't place it either. It isn't you: the game simply never tells you about the one tool you need first.

This guide walks you through the full process for your SpaceCraft first base, from the Construction Tool to a running extractor and smelter. Item and quest names are the ones the English client uses, checked against the spacecraft.tools game database.

⚒️ The Catch: You Need the Construction Tool

The most common beginner mistake is treating the Base Deploy Kit like an item you put on the hotbar and "use". It doesn't work that way. The kit is not a hotbar item, which is why drag and drop does nothing. It simply doesn't belong there.

Building and placing in SpaceCraft runs through the Construction Tool. You equip it like gear, and without it you can't place a base, an Extractor or a Smelter. That is why it feels like the game is broken.

You also don't get the tool for free. You have to craft it first and then equip it from the character screen, which is exactly what the "Space Base 101" quest asks you to do. Once it's equipped, you can start building.

🧪 What You Need Before Anything Works

SpaceCraft locks a lot of parts behind quests and permits. If you can't even craft the Construction Tool yet, one of these steps is usually missing:

• Personal Factory permit: Buy it in the permit menu for 300 credits. It unlocks the Construction Tool, the Base Deploy Kit, the Base Command Center, Extractor, Smelter, Pylon and Cable.
• Base Deploy Kit: The "Space Base 101" quest leads you to it step by step. Without the matching quest progress and permit, you won't get far.
• Aluminum: The Construction Tool is crafted in the Workshop from 1 Aluminum Ingot, 1 Wire and 1 Silicone Gel. So you need aluminum ore and a smelting pass before you can make it.

Remember the rule SpaceCraft never spells out: a lot of things have to be crafted and then equipped or installed. Having an item in your inventory doesn't mean it's ready to use.

📦 Step by Step: Placing Your SpaceCraft First Base

1. Craft the Construction Tool in the Workshop.
2. Equip the tool from the character screen.
3. Find a deposit. Deposits are the square markers on the map, and without one you can't build an extractor. The Mining Bureau in any sector shows available deposits. Fly over the marker and scan it.
4. Check the spot. SpaceCraft is an online game, so make sure no other player has already claimed that deposit.
5. Land and deploy. Come down on a flat surface close to the deposit (range is limited) and deploy the base with the Base Deploy Kit. That places your Base Command Center, which claims the land around it and supplies the base with power.

If no deposit is close enough, take off again and pick another spot. The quest itself suggests exactly that.

🔗 Your First Production Chain: Extractor, Smelter, Pylon

Once the base stands, you build your first automation loop. The Extractor can only be placed directly on a deposit and then pulls ore automatically. The Smelter turns ore into ingots, and the Pylon carries power to your buildings. You connect everything with Cable: aim at the top of a pylon, press the action key, then link it to the building.

One thing to watch with the Smelter: you have to select the recipe that matches the ore from your extractor. On an iron deposit, set the Smelter to Iron Ore, otherwise nothing happens. Your second deposit works the same way.

As soon as your machines run, crafting and smelting produce Technology XP, which you collect at the Base Command Center terminal. That raises your Technology level, which in turn unlocks more buildings and recipes. Your SpaceCraft first base is not just an ore source but a progression engine, so get it running early instead of mining everything by hand.

💡 Tips That Save You Hours Later

• Warehouse next: Once ore and ingots are flowing, the Warehouse should be your next goal. It needs the Automated Factories permit (450 credits), and drones move goods in and out of it.
• Avoid clogging: To keep the extractor from filling up with ore and the smelter with ingots, you need Drones to move goods. They come with the Automated Factories permit, and the "Space Base 103" quest also asks you to raise your Science level to 2.
• Pick a safe anchor: For your SpaceCraft first base, iron and copper are the safest choice because they feed the most useful early crafting chains. Quartz and Gravite are better targets for a second base.
• Plan your money: The permits add up quickly. Our SpaceCraft credits guide covers the starting debt and the first quests that pay.

🩸 Common Stumbling Blocks

"I placed the base, but I can't build an Extractor or Smelter." This is the second most common frustration after the Construction Tool. If the buildings don't show up, you are almost always missing a quest or permit step. SpaceCraft unlocks individual parts through quest chains and permits, and without the right unlock the recipe stays hidden.

"My Construction Tool doesn't show up at all." Either you haven't crafted it yet, or you are missing the Aluminum Ingot or the Personal Factory permit. Craft first, then equip it. An item that just sits in your inventory builds nothing.

"I can't deploy my base even though I'm next to a deposit." Check whether another player already claimed the deposit, whether you are close enough, and whether the Construction Tool is really equipped. Don't put your SpaceCraft first base on a crowded deposit along a busy starter route.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Your SpaceCraft First Base

Why can't I place my base kit in SpaceCraft?
Because the Base Deploy Kit is not a hotbar item. You need the crafted Construction Tool equipped from the character screen; only then can you deploy the base.

What do I need to craft the Construction Tool?
The Personal Factory permit (300 credits) and, in the Workshop, 1 Aluminum Ingot, 1 Wire and 1 Silicone Gel.

Where should I place my SpaceCraft first base?
On a scanned deposit, ideally iron or copper, that no other player has claimed yet. The Mining Bureau shows available deposits. Land close to it on flat ground and deploy the Base Command Center.

Why don't the Extractor or Smelter show up?
Almost always a quest or permit step is missing. SpaceCraft unlocks individual parts through quests and permits, and without the unlock the recipe stays hidden.

More SpaceCraft guides in English are collected on our SpaceCraft overview. Need ore for the next step? See how to find resources in SpaceCraft.

Checked against spacecraft.tools (permits, buildings, items and the "Space Base 101" to "Space Base 103" quests) as of October 2026. SpaceCraft is in Early Access, so recipes and unlock conditions can change with future patches.