Star Citizen guide #13: mining 101 (hand, ROC, Prospector, refining)

Open the tool in Beacon OPS

Mining is one of the most popular careers: calm, technical and profitable. You start by hand, move up to the ROC, then to a mining ship.

Step 1: hand mining

• Fit your multitool with the mining attachment, then look for gems in caves and on some moons.
• Aim at the rock, fire the laser and keep the gauge in the optimal zone until it fractures, then pick up the fragments.
• Minimal investment, and a great way to learn the core mechanic.

Step 2: the ROC

• The ROC is a small mining vehicle that harvests gem deposits on the ground. You can buy one in game.
• You need a ship able to carry it (a Cutlass Black or bigger), or a friend to drop you off.
• Faster and more profitable than hand mining, with a hold you empty back at the ship.

Step 3: the Prospector

1. The Prospector is the go-to solo mining ship (32 SCU hold). Switch to mining mode with M.
2. Scan the area to find rocks, then move in and analyze them: composition, mass, resistance, instability.
3. Heat the rock with the laser while keeping power in the green zone. Too much and it explodes; too little and it won’t break.
4. Once it fractures, extract the richest fragments. Mining modules and gadgets help with tough rocks.

Later on: the MOLE (three lasers, for group play) and Drake’s Golem, now sold in several shops.

Refining

• Raw ore can be sold as is, but it’s worth much more refined. Drop it off at a station with a refinery (many Lagrange point stations have one).
• Pick a method: fast but with more loss, or slow with a better yield.
• Come back for the result when the job is done, then sell it at the commodity terminal.

💡 Beacon tip: since Alpha 4.10, Recco Battaglia in Levski offers mining contracts (rock cracking, miner defense) rewarding modules and crafting blueprints.

Read next: Trading · Crafting · Careers overview

Written for Star Citizen Alpha 4.10.2 (October 2026). The game changes with every patch: if something has moved, tell us in a reply and we’ll update the guide.