SpaceCraft Platinum: Cooperite, Plagnetite and Platinum Deposits (2026)

SpaceCraft platinum comes from three places: ore from Cooperite nodes on planets, nuggets from Plagnetite in asteroid fields, and a steady supply from platinum deposits that your Extractor taps. For a base, the deposit is what matters, and the regular and dense versions end up producing exactly the same number of ingots per hour.

This guide covers every source with yields and drop chances, compares the two deposits and explains why the precious metal becomes a bottleneck later on. Without SpaceCraft platinum there's no Unbendinium, and without Unbendinium there are no Solid Frame parts for big ships.

⚡ Quick check

• Cooperite: tier 5 node on planets, drops Platinum Ore and Sulfur.
• Plagnetite: tier 5 node on asteroids, drops Iron Nuggets and Platinum Nuggets in equal measure.
• Platinum Deposit and Dense Platinum Deposit: tier 1 deposits for the Extractor, both end at 30 ingots per hour.
• Smelter: 2 ore or 4 nuggets make 1 Platinum Ingot, worth 16 credits.
• Uses: Structural Beam and Unbendinium Ingot, the base material for Solid Frame Casings.

⛏️ Every SpaceCraft platinum source

The game data lists four sources, plus a larger variant of both Cooperite and Plagnetite that has no yield values of its own:

How much the larger node variants drop compared to the normal ones isn't readable from either database. Your own observations are the only guide here.

🪨 Cooperite: SpaceCraft platinum on planets

The item description is clear about where it belongs: Cooperite is one of the most common planetary platinum ores and also a source of sulfur. You'll find it on planets, not in asteroid fields.

According to the community database spacecraft.tools, a node drops 2 to 5 ore with an 87.7 % chance and 7 to 9 Sulfur with a 67.9 % chance. On top of that come some rare extras:

On average a node gives about 3 ore, so roughly one and a half ingots. That's decent, but not mass output. The sulfur is a welcome bonus if you already run a chemical chain, which our sulphuric acid guide covers.

How to track down and identify nodes with the detector and Scanalyzer is explained in the guide to finding resources.

☄️ Plagnetite: SpaceCraft platinum from asteroid fields

Plagnetite is the space counterpart. The in-game description says the formation is usually found on asteroids and contains iron and platinum in equal parts. The yield table looks exactly like that.

According to spacecraft.tools, each node drops 4 to 5 Iron Nuggets and 4 to 5 Platinum Nuggets, each with a 94.9 % chance. That's a little over 4 nuggets per node on average, so about one ingot, plus the same number of Iron Nuggets on top. Our German database currently links no yields to Plagnetite, so these values come from a single community source.

If you're in an asteroid field anyway, say for Iron Spherules, just take the Plagnetite with you. Why that trip is also worth it for crystals is shown in the hematite guide.

Which laser do you need for tier 5?

Cooperite and Plagnetite are both tier 5, just like Wolframite. The common community reading is that your laser's mining tier has to reach the deposit's tier. Shiro Games hasn't published an official formula. Which laser brings which tier and what a Mining Tier patch adds is covered in the mining laser comparison.

🏭 Platinum deposits: the steady supply for your base

For running production, the deposits are what count. Both versions are tier 1 deposits that your Extractor mines continuously. According to spacecraft.tools, the regular deposit shows up in natural clusters next to copper, iron or titanium deposits. Where to find such clusters and how to automate them is in the base automation guide.

Regular vs. dense: the surprising result

At first glance the dense deposit looks twice as good because it delivers 120 instead of 60 units per hour. The catch: it delivers nuggets, while the regular deposit delivers ore. And the Smelter needs 4 nuggets but only 2 ore per ingot.

Both deposits end at exactly 30 ingots per hour, which is 480 credits of ingot value. The dense deposit only pays off if you sell the raw material directly, where it earns 24 credits more per hour. For your own production they're equal, so pick whichever deposit is closer to your base.

🔥 Smelting: the two recipes

The ingot is worth 16 credits, the ore 6 and the nugget 3.20. Smelting always pays, even if you sell, because you gain over the raw material. Since Community Update #1, base Smelters run twice as fast as before, according to the official patch notes.

🔧 What you need SpaceCraft platinum for

The ingot only goes into two recipes. Both matter a lot, though.

Structural Beam: double output instead of steel

You make the Structural Beam in the Workshop in two ways: from 2 Steel Ingots for one beam, or from 1 Platinum Ingot and 2 Iron Ingots for two beams. Per beam that's half a Platinum Ingot and one Iron Ingot instead of two Steel Ingots.

That matters more than it sounds. According to our German database, the Structural Beam goes into 30 recipes, including the Factory with 40, the Shipyard with 12 and the "Anvil" Cockpit with 50. If you build a lot, this recipe saves a lot of steel.

Unbendinium: the road to big frames

The second recipe is the real long-term sink. In the Smelter, 4 Platinum Ingots, 4 Tungsten Ingots and 1 Silicon Ingot make 6 Unbendinium Ingots. It unlocks with the Modular Systems 3 permit, which has cost 18,000 credits since the balance patch of June 26.

Unbendinium leads through the Unbending Beam (3 Unbendinium, 2 Steel Ingots, Workshop) to the frame casings:

The last column is our own math from the recipes. A Solid Frame 16x6x2 needs eight Solid Frame Casings and so eats about 960 Platinum Ingots, plus just as many Tungsten Ingots. That's where it becomes obvious why your own deposit is a must. Tungsten is covered in the tungsten guide, and the role of frames in ship design in the modules guide.

💡 Farming tips for SpaceCraft platinum

• Secure a deposit early: an Extractor on a deposit is the only way to reach frame-level amounts. Since Major Update #1 you can also mine deposits outside your base with Extractor Pods (Remote Extraction 1 permit).
• Regular over dense if it's closer: both end at 30 ingots per hour.
• Grab Plagnetite: in asteroid fields it brings iron along for free.
• Use Cooperite for sulfur: the bonus drop can save you a separate sulfur deposit.
• Build Structural Beams with platinum: double output and no steel needed.

❓ FAQ: platinum in SpaceCraft

Where do I find SpaceCraft platinum?

On planets in Cooperite nodes, in asteroid fields in Plagnetite nodes, and as deposits that your Extractor mines continuously. For larger amounts, a deposit is the best choice.

Is the Dense Platinum Deposit better than the regular one?

Only if you sell the raw material. It delivers 120 nuggets instead of 60 ore per hour, but the Smelter needs 4 nuggets instead of 2 ore per ingot. Both deposits end at 30 ingots per hour.

What are Platinum Ingots used for?

For Structural Beams and Unbendinium. Unbendinium is the base for the Unbending Beam and therefore for the Small Solid Frame Casing and the Solid Frame Casing.

Which laser do I need for Cooperite?

Cooperite is tier 5, like Plagnetite and Wolframite. The community reading is that your mining tier has to reach that level. There is no official formula.

Are there platinum hulls in SpaceCraft?

The game data contains hull parts called "Platinium", but they're marked as deprecated and only used in shipwrecks. You can't craft them.

Should I smelt or sell raw?

Smelt. Two ore are worth 12 credits, the ingot made from them 16.

As of October 2026, SpaceCraft Early Access v0.5.25674 (Shiro Games). Names, descriptions and recipes checked against our German item database and the spacecraft.tools game database; drop chances and deposit yields come from spacecraft.tools. The official patch notes up to Major Update #1 and v0.5.25674 contain no changes to these sources. Drop chances and the laser reading are community values and can change with any patch.