Asteroid Mining
REM Exclusive Harvest rare resources from asteroid fields across Sirius – a fully custom mechanic not present in the original game.
Overview
The original Freelancer featured asteroid mining as a passive commodity mechanic – you could buy mined goods at stations but could not actively mine yourself. REM replaces this with active, player-driven mining: fly to an asteroid field, target a minable rock and use a mining beam to extract raw materials.
Mined resources feed directly into the crafting system and can also be sold at refineries for credits, making mining a viable primary income source.
Mining Equipment
Before you can mine, you need the right equipment fitted to your ship:
| Item | Slot | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mining Beam | Weapon hardpoint | The primary tool. Different tiers extract resources faster and from harder rock types. Available at mining equipment dealers. |
| Mining Scanner | Scanner slot | Highlights minable asteroids within scan range and shows their resource type. Strongly recommended. |
| Cargo Expansion | Utility slot | Increases cargo hold capacity for longer mining sessions before needing to return to a refinery. |
How to Mine
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Fit a Mining Beam to a weapon hardpoint and optionally a Mining Scanner. Visit any REM equipment dealer and look under Mining Equipment.
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Fly to an asteroid field. Minable fields are marked on the nav map. Different fields contain different resources.
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Target a minable asteroid. With the Mining Scanner equipped, minable asteroids are highlighted in teal. Without a scanner, target asteroids and check if the Mine action appears.
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Activate the mining beam while within range. The beam charges for 2–5 seconds, then the asteroid yields resources into your cargo hold. The asteroid may be depleted temporarily afterwards.
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Repeat until your cargo hold is full, then fly to the nearest refinery or crafting depot to process or sell your haul.
Resources by System Region
| Region | Systems | Resource Tier | Example Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Space | New York, Pennsylvania, Texas | Tier 1 | Iron Ore, Carbon Fibre, Silicon Crystals |
| Bretonia Space | New London, Cambridge, Leeds | Tier 1–2 | Copper Ore, Titanium Alloy, Boron Crystals |
| Kusari Space | New Tokyo, Shikoku, Kyushu | Tier 1–2 | Xenon Gas, Superconductor, Rare Earth Elements |
| Rheinland Space | New Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg | Tier 1–2 | Niobium Ore, Industrial Components, Gold Ore |
| Border Worlds | Dublin, Omega systems, Tau systems | Tier 2–3 | Plutonium, Crystallised Niobium, Dark Energy Shards |
| Outer Rim / Nomad space | Omicron systems, Unknown systems | Tier 3–4 | Nomad Energy Cells, Alien Artifact Shards, Neural Net Crystals |
Best Mining Locations
| Location | System | Resources | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Badlands Asteroid Field | Pennsylvania | Iron, Carbon, Silicon | Low |
| Omega-3 Nebula Clusters | Omega-3 | Plutonium, Gas Pockets | Medium |
| Dublin Asteroid Belt | Dublin | Gold Ore, Crystallised Niobium | Medium |
| Tau-31 Deep Field | Tau-31 | Dark Energy Shards, Alien Crystals | High |
| Omicron Minor Clusters | Omicron Minor | Nomad Energy Cells, Neural Net Crystals | Very High |
Selling Resources
Mined resources can be sold at refineries and processing stations across Sirius, or used as crafting ingredients at depot bases.
Selling prices vary by location – refineries close to the mining field pay less than those further away (standard trade distance bonus). Check commodity prices at your target refinery before making the trip.
| Sell Location Type | Price Modifier |
|---|---|
| Refinery near mining field | Base price (100%) |
| Refinery in the same house | +20–40% |
| Refinery in a different house | +50–100% |
| Black market (pirate bases) | Varies – some rare materials sell at premium |
Tips & Tricks
- Use a freighter for bulk runs. Fighters are nimble but can only carry 60–150 cargo units. A freighter with 400+ capacity makes far more credits per trip.
- Scout before committing. Use the Mining Scanner to assess a field before flying deep into it. Some fields are depleted or hazardous.
- Group mining. Wing up with another player – one flies a combat ship for protection while the other mines. Split the profits.
- Track respawn timers. Asteroids respawn after a period. Returning to a known rich field is more efficient than scouting new areas constantly.
- Cross-reference with crafting needs. Before a mining session, check what resources your current blueprints need and target those specifically.