SpaceCraft Resources and Automation: Raw Materials and Planet Bases (2026)

In SpaceCraft by Shiro Games, how you handle raw materials decides your ship upgrades, range and income. Collect SpaceCraft resources without a plan and you get stuck fast; set up mining and supply chains properly and you get a steady flow.

This guide brings together the most important early materials, the path from ore to component and the first automation loop for your base. The details come from the spacecraft.tools game database (v0.5.25674), our SpaceCraft database and Shiro Games' patch notes.

🗺️ SpaceCraft resources at a glance

The core of the economy follows a simple logic: you locate sources with the Resource Detector, identify them with the Scanalyzer, mine, refine and then sell either raw materials or components. Crafted ship parts bring far more credits than raw ore, so the profit sits at the end of the chain.

A second principle concerns automation: deposits matter more than single nodes. You mine nodes with the mining laser, but only deposits can be tapped permanently with Extractors. According to the database, deposits like the Titanium or Vanadium Deposit give 60 units per hour. Whether you can mine a node also depends on your mining laser's tier.

⛏️ The most important early SpaceCraft resources

Early progression revolves around a small set of materials:

Later on come rare materials like Titanium, Vanadium and Tungsten, which are tied to high-tier nodes or deposits. Our rare resources guide gives the overview, and the search itself is covered in the guide to finding resources.

🔗 Supply chains: from ore to ship part

A supply chain is the path from raw material to finished module. A good early example is the Simple Mining Laser: copper becomes an ingot in the Smelter, Wire in the Workshop, a Crystalline Focuser together with Quartz, and two focusers plus a Small Module Kit make the laser.

Two stumbling blocks are worth knowing. First: crafting a module isn't the same as installing it; you install it at the Shipyard. Second, the FTL engine needs Mag-Plasma for its shield before the first jump. More on modules and the Shipyard in the ship building guide.

📦 Building automated bases

The biggest lever for SpaceCraft resources is automation. The most important advice: don't overbuild before your first loop runs. Keep the starter chain deliberately small:

1. Pick a free deposit as your site
2. Place the Base Deploy Kit, which becomes the Base Command Center and claims the area
3. Put an Extractor directly on the deposit
4. Connect power with Pylon and Cable
5. Place a Smelter next to it and set the right recipe
6. Set up a drone route, which only works once a drone is built

The buildings for the first steps unlock with the Personal Factory permit (300 credits), drones and the Warehouse with the Automated Factories permit (450 credits). This first loop shows you the four most common mistakes: no deposit, missing power, wrong smelting recipe and a route without a drone. The base automation guide walks you through it step by step.

🆕 What the updates since September changed

Since Community Update #1 on September 16, 2026, the Workshop and Smelter keep working when you leave the station, and the Advanced Warehouse holds 5,000 SU with up to 12 route drones. Since Major Update #1 on October 8, 2026, you can also mine deposits outside your base with Extractor Pods (Remote Extraction 1 permit, 10,000 credits). Deposits now have a stability value that decides the pods' accident risk.

Base production also earns Technology experience: the command center counts certain crafted items and awards experience once you collect enough of them.

🧪 Progression: permits, Raqmu and the Mining Bureau

Many recipes depend on permits. Buy them on the principle "buy what's blocking you right now": Cargo Accommodation for space problems, Electromagnetism for laser and detector, Personal Factory for base building and Automated Factories for drones. Some recipes need lab studies or experience levels instead, more on that in the permits guide.

An important hub after the starting area is the Raqmu station. Since patch v0.3.22978, Guion Faris gives you the base building quest "Space Base 101" there. The Mining Bureau sells coordinates and Restricted Area locations, and its quest MB#04: Deposit Location sends you to an iron or copper deposit.

❓ FAQ: SpaceCraft resources

Which SpaceCraft resources do I need first?

Iron and copper, then Quartz for the Crystalline Focusers. You buy Silicone Gel early on from The Company Exchanger.

Does mining continue while I'm elsewhere?

Yes. Bases with an Extractor, power and drones keep working while you're away, since the world is persistent. In offline mode, since Major Update #1 the game simulates your absence the next time you log in.

Why doesn't my drone route work?

Usually there's no drone actually built yet, or you haven't bought the Automated Factories permit.

Sell ore or crafted parts?

Crafted ship parts bring far more than raw ore. Still, check whether each stage pays off; the crafting chains guide has examples.

✨ Conclusion

If you have your SpaceCraft resources under control, the game plays more relaxed: small, clean supply chains beat any overloaded base chaos. Build one working loop first, rely on deposits instead of single nodes, and refine instead of selling raw.

As of October 2026, SpaceCraft Early Access v0.5.25674. Checked against the spacecraft.tools game database, our SpaceCraft database, the developer blog "First Steps 3" and Shiro Games' patch notes (v0.3.22978, Community Update #1, Major Update #1). Recipes, names and values can change with patches.