How to Make Money with Asteroid Mining in Star Citizen 3.24.2

In Star Citizen 3.24.2, asteroid mining is one of the most profitable ways to make money except Buying Star Citizen aUEC, which is often the best way, saving your precious time and resources. With mining options on planets currently limited, asteroid fields provide rich deposits of rare minerals. This guide walks you through setting up your mining rig, selecting the right equipment, and picking the best spots for profitable asteroid mining in Star Citizen 3.24.2. Let’s dive in to maximize your earnings by mastering mining techniques and understanding the best resources to target.

Best Star Citizen Prospector Loadout for Astroid Mining

To get started, you'll need a Prospector with an optimized loadout. Here’s how to get everything you need:

1. Location: Head to Faithful Dream Station located at HUR-L2. You can buy most of your mining equipment here without needing to jump around other stations.

2. Refinery Access: Once at Faithful Dream Station, go to the refinery area via the elevators. You’ll find terminals there to purchase your mining gear.

Essential Mining Equipment

Here’s the recommended loadout to make mining easier and more profitable, helping you Make Money in Star Citizen 3.24.2:

• Mining Laser: Purchase the Helix Mining Laser (Size 1). It’s powerful and well-suited for asteroid mining, costing around 100k.

• Modules:

  • Focus III Module: Increases your optimal mining window, countering the Helix laser’s reduced range.
  • Rieger C3 Module: Adds extra power with minimal reduction to the optimal window, allowing you to break tougher rocks with ease.

• Gadget: Buy the Sabir Gadget. It reduces rock resistance by 50% if you encounter rocks that are too tough to crack.

Customizing Your Prospector

To equip your Prospector with the purchased gear:

1. Store the Prospector: If you’re unsure how to customize it, store the Prospector first.

2. Load the Equipment: Access the F1 Menu -> Vehicles -> MISC Prospector -> Utility. Equip the Helix Mining Laser and add the Focus III and Rieger C3 modules to their respective slots.

Finding the Best Asteroid Mining Spot: Yela Asteroid Belt

With your setup complete, it’s time to find some profitable rocks. The Yela Asteroid Belt is a top choice for several reasons:

1. Mineral Rich: This area offers a high chance of valuable resources like Quantanium, Gold, Bexalite, and Teranite.

2. Smaller Rocks: The belt is filled with smaller rocks, which the Prospector can handle more easily. Aim for rocks that are 2 out of 6 in size, as they’re easier to mine without damaging your ship.

Tips for Navigating Yela Belt

• Watch Out for Grim Hex: Avoid the Grim Hex area as it’s populated by criminals who might interfere with your mining operations.

• Scan for Resources: As you fly through the asteroid belt, use TAB to ping and V to enter scanning mode. Look for rocks with Quantanium, Gold, or other valuable minerals and avoid those with high amounts of Titanium due to its density, which quickly fills your cargo hold.

Mining Techniques and Resource Selection

When you find a promising rock:

1. Check Mineral Composition: Look for rocks with Gold (above 30%), Bexalite, and Aluminum as they offer the best profit without taking too much cargo space.

2. Activate Mining Arm: Press M to bring up the mining arm and begin extraction.

3. Manage Laser Power: Carefully adjust the laser’s power to keep the energy in the green zone. If it slips into the red, the rock might explode, damaging your Prospector.

4. Use Gadgets for Hard Rocks: If a rock’s optimal window is too narrow or the resistance is too high, deploy the Sabir Gadget to make the process easier.

Understanding Mining Scans

Each scanned rock will show a number representing its distance or mass in thousands. Here’s a quick guide:

• 10,000 or even multiples of 2,000: Likely contains panel materials, which are less profitable.

• Odd multiples (e.g., 11k): Often holds valuable resources. Prioritize rocks with values that aren’t perfectly divisible by 2,000 for higher returns.

Resource Density and Cargo Management

When managing your cargo space, target rocks that contain a mix of Aluminum and at least one valuable resource like Gold or Bexalite.

Aluminum keeps your load manageable while valuable minerals boost your profits. 

Avoid high-density materials like Titanium whenever possible, as they take up too much room in your cargo hold, limiting your ability to carry other, more profitable resources.

By focusing on lower-density, high-value combinations, you’ll get the most out of your cargo space, helping you bring in higher returns with each run.

Mining and Extracting Profitable Resources

Once you locate a promising rock:

1. Enter Extraction Mode: For smaller rocks with valuable resources, simply Alt + Left Click to enter extraction mode.

2. Crack Larger Rocks: For larger rocks, use the laser to crack them. Keep the energy bar within the green zone until the rock breaks into manageable pieces, then extract.

3. Optimize Your Cargo: Fill your hold with a mix of Gold, Bexalite, and Aluminum, avoiding Titanium when possible.

Quick Tips for Success

• Keep an Eye on Cargo Space: Since cargo space is limited, it's crucial to make every slot count. Prioritize high-value minerals like gold, titanium, or quantanium over bulkier, low-value materials. These high-value minerals will give you the best return on investment, allowing you to make more profit with each run. Always evaluate the cargo potential before you fill up, and aim for minerals that maximize both credits earned and space efficiency.

• Choose Rocks Wisely: When selecting rocks to mine, keep an eye out for those with a mineral composition above 30% of valuable elements like gold, quantanium, or laranite. These are the most sought-after and profitable, giving you more credit for each piece you haul back. Avoid wasting time on rocks with a lower concentration, as they won’t yield as much profit in comparison. This selection strategy will help you save time and increase your mining efficiency.

• Stay Alert: Some areas are riskier than others, especially spots known for pirate activity like Grim Hex. Keeping out of these high-risk zones will help you avoid unnecessary losses and safeguard your hard-earned minerals. Always stay aware of your surroundings, keep a lookout for suspicious ships, and prioritize safer routes back to your base. A cautious approach can mean the difference between cashing in your haul or losing it to a pirate ambush.

Refining and Selling Mined Materials in Star Citizen

Now that you have the materials with you, the closest area to sell your mined materials is the CRU L1-A Station. Head over to this refinery station, and climb the stairs to find the Ore Sales and Refinement Processing.

1. In the Ore Sales area, you can check how much you have made from Asteroid Mining in Star Citizen.

2. Refine the materials at the Refinement Center. 

3. Setup work order

4. Refile the material like gold
5. Select Dinyx Solventation
6. Typically go for Very Low Speed, Low Cost, and High Yield here

Refine your material. It will take a while for the work order to be complete, and afterward, you can select your cargo ship below, and collect the refined materials. 

Go to Area 18, and unload the cargo here. Head over to the TDD section and sell your refined materials for some Star Citizen aUEC.

In case you can't sell here, make sure you are at your home location. 

Don't like the boring route? You can follow the Best Cargo Missions and Route to get Star Citizen aUEC (Money) in Star Citizen 3.24.2 as well.

Conclusion

Asteroid mining in Star Citizen 3.24.2 is one of the best ways to make money (aUEC) in the game. With the right setup and strategy, you can turn your Prospector into a profit machine, focusing on valuable resources like Gold, Bexalite, and Aluminum in the Yela Belt. Follow these tips, optimize your loadout, and watch your credits pile up as you conquer the asteroid fields of Star Citizen.