Starminer asteroid mining and resource guide image

Starminer Resources Guide: Cobalt, Thorium, Eonite & Mining

Starminer resources guide for cobalt, thorium, eonite, silicates, iron, water ice, mining priorities, selling, research, reactors, and repairs.

Quick Answer

Which Starminer resources should you mine, keep, or sell?

Mine basic construction materials first, stabilize storage and refining, then target cobalt and thorium for income and progression. Keep rare resources such as eonite until your tech path proves the exact module bottleneck.

What you probably searched for

Starminer cobalt

Cobalt

Prioritize cobalt after basic construction is stable because it supports income, research planning, and higher-value mining routes.

Starminer thorium

Thorium

Thorium is high-value, but reserve some for reactor and expansion needs before selling surplus.

Starminer eonite

Eonite

Treat eonite as a rare-resource bottleneck. Stockpile until your tech or module plan proves where it is needed.

Starminer resources

Priority

Mine by bottleneck: construction first, power second, income third, rare materials after storage and defense can support them.

Resource Rule

Do not sell every valuable resource just because credits are low. Keep enough materials for research, reactors, repairs, and defense, then sell surplus.

Resource Priority Table

Starminer mining resource priority image — The best resource is the one that fixes the current bottleneck: construction, power, research, income, or defense.

Resource	Use	Decision rule
Iron / base metals	Construction, repairs, early modules	Mine first because every station plan depends on cheap materials.
Silicates / silicone chain	Research lab, electronics, production support	Keep a reserve before spending on optional expansion.
Water ice	Support and survival-style logistics	Useful when longer routes and crew systems start to matter.
Cobalt	Higher-value mining, research planning, early income	Scout and preserve access once basic mining is stable.
Thorium	High-value sale target and reactor planning	Sell surplus only after saving fuel or upgrade reserves.
Eonite	Rare-resource bottleneck and later tech planning	Stockpile until the exact module need is verified in your save.

Cobalt: Income and Research Planning

Cobalt is the first resource worth treating as a named target because it shows up in player searches and early progression discussions. Do not chase it before your base can store, refine, defend, and transport what you mine. For new players, cobalt is a milestone: it means the station is ready to move beyond basic survival. For experienced players, cobalt is a routing question: whether it should feed research, trade, storage, or a specific module path.

Thorium: Sell Value vs Reactor Reserve

Thorium is tempting as a sale resource, but power planning is the hidden cost. Keep a reserve for reactors, expansion, or later module needs before converting the rest into credits. If the station is already power-starved, selling thorium is usually a false economy. If reactors and reserves are stable, selling a surplus can be correct because credits help clear debt and fund the next expansion cycle.

Eonite and Rare-Resource Discipline

Rare materials should be stockpiled until your current tech path proves the exact demand. The mistake is spending rare resources on an optional module, then discovering they block a stronger upgrade later. This is where veteran players gain value: they delay the decision until the build path is clear. That is better than pretending every rare resource has one universal best use in every save.

Keep or Sell Decision Matrix

Starminer resource logistics and storage guide — Resource value changes by situation: debt, research, power, repairs, storage, and defense all change what should be kept.

Situation	Best move	Reason
You are broke	Sell surplus cobalt or thorium after keeping upgrade reserves.	Credits solve debt and early expansion, but selling every rare material can delay tech.
Research is blocked	Check cobalt, silicone-chain materials, and Research Lab inputs.	Research bottlenecks are usually resource-mix problems, not only time problems.
Reactors are blocked	Protect thorium and fuel-related materials before auto-selling.	Power shortages cascade into mining, defense, and logistics failures.
Repairs are blocked	Reserve base metals before building new modules.	A bigger station that cannot repair itself is weaker than a smaller stable one.
Storage is full	Refine, route, or sell by priority instead of dumping everything.	Full storage hides real shortages and stops production chains.

Mining Route Progression

Starminer fleet mining route and resource planning — Resource planning changes once ships, stations, labs, trade routes, and defenses all compete for the same materials.

Route	Focus	Why
Starter loop	Mine construction materials near the first station.	Keeps the base repairable and cheap to expand.
Income loop	Scout cobalt and thorium nodes once storage and refining work.	Creates credits without starving the station core.
Research loop	Route cobalt and silicone-chain resources toward labs.	Turns mining into module unlocks.
Defense loop	Reserve power and repair materials before expanding heat.	More mining raises risk, so defense must follow income.
Rare loop	Stockpile eonite and similar scarce materials until a module requires them.	Rare resources are easiest to waste before the tech path is clear.

New Player vs Optimizer Resource Plans

Starminer station resource storage and planning — Beginners should stabilize the station. Optimizers should measure the bottleneck: mining, refining, hauling, research, power, repair, or selling.

The same asteroid field can be correct or wrong depending on player stage. A beginner should value predictable construction and repair materials. A money-focused player should identify safe surplus. A builder should stockpile by module plan. A logistics player should route resources by destination. Treating all players the same is why many resource pages feel useful for five minutes and then stop helping.

Player type	Resource plan	Why
New player	Mine cheap construction materials first, then build storage and refining.	A basic station that can repair itself is more valuable than early rare-resource chasing.
Debt-focused player	Sell surplus cobalt and thorium only after reserving upgrade and reactor needs.	Credits matter, but selling the wrong reserve creates a bigger bottleneck later.
Builder	Stockpile materials by planned module type instead of one giant mixed pile.	Large builds fail when power, repairs, or logistics are missing one small resource chain.
Logistics player	Route resources by destination: storage, labs, reactors, repairs, trade.	Starminer rewards clean flows more than raw mining volume.
Veteran optimizer	Measure whether mining, refining, hauling, or selling is the current limit.	The best resource route is the one that fixes the slowest part of the chain.

Resource Bottleneck Diagnosis

A resource problem is rarely solved by mining everything harder. The broken link may be storage, refining, hauling, research, power, repairs, or trade. Use this table before rebuilding a ship or abandoning a resource route.

Problem	Likely bottleneck	Fix
Mining output is high but credits are low	Storage or selling route is not converting surplus.	Add trade handling or sell only the resources that exceed reserve targets.
Research stalls	The lab is missing a specific input rather than generic ore.	Route cobalt and silicone-chain materials to research before expanding ships.
Station keeps losing power	Fuel or reactor planning is behind expansion.	Reserve thorium and power-chain materials before building more consumers.
Repairs are constant	Heat, defense, or layout is creating more damage than income can support.	Pause expansion and fund repair materials before chasing rare nodes.
Rare materials feel useless	The tech plan has not reached the module that consumes them.	Stockpile eonite instead of selling or spending it blindly.

Starminer official sources and Early Access reference image — Starminer is an Early Access systems sandbox, so release timing, price, reviews, compatibility, and planned features should be checked against official sources before making long-session decisions.

Starminer Official Links and Source Checks

Player question	Official link	Status	Player note
Steam lists Starminer with a May 27, 2026 release date, Windows support, single-player, achievements, Steam Cloud, Family Sharing, and Early Access tags.	Steam Store	Confirmed	Use the Steam button as the final live availability signal because store state can change on launch day.
SteamDB lists the release timing as 27 May 2026 at 16:00 UTC.	SteamDB	Working route	Useful for timing context, while the Steam store remains the primary purchase source.
The official site describes Early Access in May 2026, Steam and Epic store availability, Campaign, Sandbox, Survival, three star systems, and 25+ environments.	Official site	Confirmed	Use for mode, world-scope, and systems coverage.
The official site lists modular construction, infinite expansion, mining, production, combat, defense, power, heat, logistics, production, crew, and sandbox freedom as core systems.	Official site	Confirmed	Use as the basis for player guides without inventing mechanics beyond official wording.
TheSixthAxis covered Starminer as a May 2026 Early Access release.	TheSixthAxis	Working route	Secondary confirmation; official sources should take priority for exact features.

Starminer related guide navigation image — Use the related guides to move from launch facts to first-hour planning, ship building, mining logistics, defense, feature status, and buying advice.

Next Guides

Starminer Guide Hub

Start here for release facts, mode selection, beginner priorities, systems, specs, and buying advice.

Release Date & Early Access

Steam date, SteamDB unlock timing, Early Access status, Epic listing, language, platform, and live store checks.

Beginner Guide

First-hour planning for Campaign, Sandbox, starter stations, power, heat, mass, mining, storage, and defenses.

System Requirements

Official minimum PC specs, missing recommended specs, low-end setup cautions, DirectX 11, storage, and Steam Deck unknowns.

Game Modes

Campaign, Sandbox, and Survival explained with first-run recommendations, replay value, and Early Access caveats.

Ship Building

Modular construction, mass, thrust, power, tonnage, station size, mining ships, warships, and blueprint planning.

Starminer FAQ and guide hub image — Starminer rewards connected planning: ships, stations, resources, research, heat, and defenses all affect the next decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where do you get cobalt in Starminer?

Treat cobalt as a higher-value mining target tied to debris fields and C-class asteroid planning. Scout resource nodes before building a permanent extraction loop.

Q: Should I sell thorium in Starminer?

Thorium can be valuable, but do not auto-sell every unit. Keep some for reactor and expansion needs before converting surplus into credits.

Q: What is eonite used for in Starminer?

Use eonite as a later planning resource until your save confirms the exact module or upgrade bottleneck. Do not spend rare materials without a build goal.

Q: What resources should beginners mine first?

Start with basic construction and power materials, then move into cobalt, thorium, and rarer resources after storage, refining, and defense are stable.

Q: Is this a final resource database?

No. Starminer is Early Access, so this page focuses on resource decisions and route planning rather than claiming every final node location.