1. Mining Ship Design Rules
A good mining ship does one thing: extract ore efficiently and survive long enough to deliver it. Follow these rules:
- Lateral thrusters are mandatory — you need to strafe around asteroids while keeping lasers on target
- Cooling ≥ 1.5× laser heat — if your laser generates 35 heat/sec, you need at least 52 cooling
- Cargo capacity determines trip length — more cargo = fewer trips = more efficient. But more mass = slower
- Always carry a PD turret — miners are targets. A single PD turret stops most drone harassment
- No heavy weapons — a mining ship with a plasma cannon is wasting mass. Fight or mine, don't do both
2. "Pickaxe" — Budget Miner (Early Game)
Your workhorse for the first 10 hours. Cheap, efficient, disposable.
| Slot | Module | Mass | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reactor | Small Reactor | 5t | 2,000 |
| Engine | Basic Thruster ×2 | 4t | 1,600 |
| Lateral | Maneuvering Thruster ×4 | 4t | 2,000 |
| Mining | Mining Laser Mk I ×2 | 6t | 3,000 |
| Cargo | Small Cargo Hold ×3 | 6t | 2,400 |
| Cooling | Extended Radiator ×2 | 6t | 2,000 |
| Defense | PD Turret | 2t | 1,800 |
| Structure | Light Hull Frame | 3t | 500 |
| Total: 36t | Cost: ~15,300 credits | |||
Performance: Dual Mk I lasers clear a medium asteroid in ~3 minutes. 3 cargo holds carry ~30 units of ore — enough for 3-4 asteroids per trip. With 52 cooling, heat signature stays in the green even while mining continuously.
3. "Drillbit" — Efficient Miner (Mid Game)
Upgraded miner for when you have 50k+ credits and Mk II modules researched. 2× the mining speed of the Pickaxe.
| Slot | Module | Mass | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reactor | Medium Reactor | 10t | 5,000 |
| Engine | Advanced Thruster ×2 | 6t | 4,000 |
| Lateral | Maneuvering Thruster ×6 | 6t | 3,000 |
| Mining | Mining Laser Mk II ×2 | 8t | 6,000 |
| Cargo | Medium Cargo Hold ×3 | 15t | 6,000 |
| Cooling | High-Efficiency Radiator ×3 | 12t | 7,500 |
| Defense | PD Turret Mk II | 2t | 3,000 |
| Power | Small Capacitor | 2t | 1,500 |
| Scanner | Advanced Scanner | 2t | 2,000 |
| Structure | Reinforced Hull | 5t | 1,200 |
| Total: 68t | Cost: ~39,200 credits | |||
4. "Excavator" — Capital Mining Rig (Late Game)
The ultimate mining platform. Deploy this in rich asteroid belts for industrial-scale extraction. Requires Fusion Reactor and Mk III modules.
| Slot | Module | Mass | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reactor | Fusion Reactor | 30t | 25,000 |
| Engine | Capital Thruster ×2 | 16t | 12,000 |
| Lateral | Advanced Maneuvering ×8 | 12t | 8,000 |
| Mining | Mining Laser Mk III ×4 | 20t | 20,000 |
| Cargo | Large Cargo Hold ×4 | 32t | 16,000 |
| Cooling | Military Radiator ×4 | 20t | 16,000 |
| Defense | PD Turret Mk II ×2 | 4t | 6,000 |
| Defense | Heavy Shield Generator | 8t | 10,000 |
| Power | Large Capacitor ×2 | 14t | 8,000 |
| Refinery | Onboard Refinery Mk II | 6t | 8,000 |
| Scanner | Capital Scanner Array | 5t | 6,000 |
| Structure | Capital Hull Frame | 15t | 5,000 |
| Total: 182t | Cost: ~140,000 credits | |||
Performance: 4× Mk III lasers clear an entire asteroid field in 10 minutes. Onboard refinery processes ore mid-flight. Heavy shields + dual PD turrets survive Frigate encounters. The Excavator is a mining station that moves.
5. "Ghost" — Stealth Miner (Survival Mode)
Designed for Survival mode where heat = death. Prioritizes zero heat signature over mining speed.
| Slot | Module | Mass | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reactor | Small Reactor | 5t | 2,000 |
| Engine | Basic Thruster ×1 | 2t | 800 |
| Lateral | Maneuvering Thruster ×2 | 2t | 1,000 |
| Mining | Mining Laser Mk I ×1 | 3t | 1,500 |
| Cargo | Small Cargo Hold ×2 | 4t | 1,600 |
| Cooling | Military Radiator ×3 | 15t | 12,000 |
| Battery | Medium Battery ×1 | 3t | 2,000 |
| Structure | Light Hull Frame | 3t | 500 |
| Total: 37t | Cost: ~21,400 credits | |||
How to use: The Ghost has 180 cooling for only 25 heat from the laser — net signature is negative even while mining. Aliens literally cannot detect it. Mine in complete safety, just slowly. Use the battery for silent running (reactor off) to drift past patrols.
More designs: Starter Ships · Combat Ships · Ship Building Guide