SpaceCraft Mercury: Cinnabar, Sources and Uses (2026)
SpaceCraft mercury is best made from Cinnabar: in the Chemical Factory, 1 Cinnabar gives 4 Mercury and 4 Sulfur. The alternative from 40 Brine Water yields only 1 to 3 units and needs an expensive permit.
This guide covers the documented recipes, the known sources and what you need the liquid metal for. The values come from spacecraft.tools (v0.5.25674) and our SpaceCraft database.
โ๏ธ Cinnabar to mercury: the recipes
Cinnabar is a tier 4 nugget with a base value of 21.40 credits. The item description calls it a mercury sulfide crystal that was once used as a pigment because of its red color.
| Ingredient | Result | Duration | Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1ร Cinnabar | 4ร Mercury and 4ร Sulfur | 2:24 min | Lab study Cinnabar I |
| 40ร Brine Water | 1 to 3ร Mercury | 6:00 min | Very Light Alloys permit (30,000 credits) |
The Cinnabar route is clearly better: faster, more output and Sulfur as a bonus. You can turn the Sulfur straight into Sulphuric Acid. The Brine Water route only makes sense if you have lots of Brine Water anyway and no Cinnabar in reach. In the worst case it's worth less than the Brine Water you put in.
You unlock the Chemical Factory itself with the Plumbing permit (2,500 credits). All its recipes are in the Chemical Factory guide.
๐ช Where to find Cinnabar and SpaceCraft mercury
The databases list three sources related to mercury:
- Cinnabar: tier 4 source with a time factor of 3. Identify it with the Scanalyzer and mine it with a strong enough mining laser.
- Mercury Geyser: according to its description, a reliable, renewable mercury source with periodic eruptions.
- Mercury Pool: according to its description, a seemingly unlimited source filled by centuries of precipitation.
None of the sources we checked name specific planets or sectors. So scanning yourself remains the most reliable approach. The basics are in the guide to finding resources.
Using geysers and pools
How liquids work in general is described in the developer blog on liquids: you scan a geyser first, wait for the eruption and catch the liquid in the jet with the Simple Hose Pump. The hose pump comes with the Plumbing permit.
For pools there's the Liquid Extractor. According to spacecraft.tools it can only be built over a pool and then extracts automatically. It belongs to the Liquid Logistics permit (3,000 credits). The data doesn't explicitly confirm that this works for a Mercury Pool the same way as for water.
Important for transport: every tank and every Cistern holds only one type of liquid. If you want to carry mercury next to water, you need a separate tank for it. Shuttles don't carry liquids directly, so you have to bottle them.
๐ฆ What you need SpaceCraft mercury for
Mercury is a liquid with a base value of 6 credits per unit. Two uses are documented:
| Product | Ingredients | Station | Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3ร Levinium Ingot | 15ร Mercury, 2ร Aluminum Ingot, 2ร Titanium Ingot | Chemical Factory | Very Light Alloys permit |
| Mercury Bottle | 1ร Stainless Bottle, 10ร Mercury | Bottling Plant | Liquid Logistics permit |
Levinium Ingots are the real reason to collect the metal. According to spacecraft.tools, Levinium hull parts are much lighter than steel: a Levinium 4x3x2 weighs 12 instead of 30 tons. For that you need the same Very Light Alloys permit.
The Mercury Bottle, on the other hand, isn't a business. Its base value is 94 credits, which is exactly the 10 units inside (60 credits) plus the empty bottle (34 credits). Bottling only pays off for transport and storage, not for selling. How to work through chains in general is shown in the crafting chains guide.
๐งช What to do with the Sulfur
The Cinnabar route gives 4 Sulfur per run as a by-product. You don't have to sell it: in the Chemical Factory, 1 Water and 1 Sulfur make 2 Sulphuric Acid in 9 seconds. You need Sulphuric Acid for the Neutral and Acidic Fertilizer for the Xenic Farm, among other things. The full chain is in the sulphuric acid guide.
Sulphuric Acid can also be split back into Water and Sulfur. That lets you convert surplus flexibly instead of blocking storage. So plan a Cistern for the acid right away.
๐ก FAQ: SpaceCraft mercury
What's the fastest way to get SpaceCraft mercury?
Cinnabar in the Chemical Factory: 1 Cinnabar gives 4 units plus 4 Sulfur in 2:24 minutes. You need the lab study Cinnabar I first.
Is the Brine Water route worth it?
Hardly. 40 Brine Water give only 1 to 3 units, and the recipe only comes with the Very Light Alloys permit for 30,000 credits.
What do I need the metal for?
Mainly Levinium Ingots: 15 units, 2 Aluminum and 2 Titanium Ingots make 3 ingots. You can also bottle it.
Is it dangerous in the game?
The item description calls its amalgams highly toxic to humans. Specific gameplay effects such as damage aren't documented.
๐ In short
- Cinnabar is the best source: 1 โ 4 units plus 4 Sulfur.
- Brine Water is an expensive fallback with unreliable output.
- Mercury Geyser and Mercury Pool are renewable sources; you have to scan for them yourself.
- The main use is Levinium Ingots for light hull parts.
As of October 2026, SpaceCraft Early Access v0.5.25674. Checked against spacecraft.tools (recipes, permits, tiers), our SpaceCraft database (resource descriptions) and the developer blog "Feature Focus 1" on liquids. The patch notes up to Major Update #1 don't change these recipes. Locations and values can change with patches.
