Starminer official construction screenshot showing modular ship building interface and socket placement

Starminer Research Points Guide: How to Research Fast, Tech Tree & Best Unlock Order

How to get research points fast in Starminer: Research Lab setup, tech tree unlock priority, best modules to research first, how colonists and credits affect RP generation, and the optimal research order for mining, energy, industry, and weapons.

BLUF

You pay for research with credits, not some separate research currency. Build a Research Lab (100 Iron, 50 Silicones, 10 Cobalt, 500 Energy), staff it, and it trickles in research points. The real unlock order that works: Mining to Energy to Industry. Everything else waits. Weapons? Only when aliens start showing up. Colonists and Fleet? Late game --they eat resources without paying you back early on. Level up through missions for faster access to higher-tier blueprints.

Quick Answer

Starminer Tech Tree & Research

Research costs credits. Prioritize Mining, then Energy, then Industry. Hold off on Weapons until heat attracts aliens. Colonists and Fleet are late-game --they drain resources without early returns.

What you probably searched for

Starminer research guide

Research

Build Research Lab to earn credits to level up to spend credits in Research tab. Prioritize Mining to Energy to Industry to Weapons to Fleet.

Starminer tech tree unlock order

Order

1) Mining (T2 lasers, smelters). 2) Energy (panels, batteries, reactors). 3) Industry (logistics, refining). 4) Weapons (when heat hits yellow). 5) Fleet last.

Starminer how to level up fast

Leveling

Complete missions for the most XP. Mining gives XP too, but slower. Each level unlocks new research and a perk point.

Starminer Research Lab setup

Lab

Cost: 100 Iron, 50 Silicones, 10 Cobalt, 500 Energy. Assign a worker. Keep on a separate platform from mining to avoid heat conflicts.

How Research Works

Starminer research and modular build planning — Research should support the station you are actually building: mining, power, logistics, defense, and fleet scale all compete for credits.

Starminer's research system is credit-based --you spend money to unlock modules, not a separate research currency. Three things gate your progress:

Credits

Each module unlock costs thousands of credits. Sell Cobalt and Thorium to fund research. Higher-tier modules cost exponentially more.

Player Level

New research options unlock as you level up. Higher levels = access to T2 and T3 modules. Missions give the most XP.

Research Lab

Required for passive research point generation. Without a lab and assigned worker, you can't unlock anything beyond basic modules.

Research Lab Setup

Starminer Research Lab station setup and resource routing — The Research Lab is not just a building cost. It needs worker assignment, power, material routing, and protection from bad expansion planning.

Construction Cost

100 Iron

Hull and frame

50 Silicones

Electronics

10 Cobalt

Processing core

500 Energy

Power requirement

--Build the Research Lab on a separate platform from your mining operations. Mining generates heat that can slow research.

--Park your Research Station near an NPC station --NPCs can supply construction materials from their inventory, saving you hauling time.

--Assign a colonist worker to the lab. Without a worker, no research points are generated.

--Buffer resources: build storage containers feeding directly into the lab to prevent production halts when you're away mining.

Optimal Unlock Order

Step	Do this	Why it matters
Mining Modules First	Unlock T2 Mining Lasers and Improved Smelters before anything else. Each tier improves yield by ~30%.	Mining is your income engine. Better mining = faster everything else.
Energy Modules Second	Solar Panels → Battery Banks → Small Reactors → Medium Reactors. Stable power prevents cascading failures.	Every module needs power. Running out of energy during a defense fight = dead station.
Industry Modules Third	Basic Logistics → Refining Efficiency → Automated Conveyors. These make your existing miners more productive.	Logistics upgrades improve throughput without building more miners — efficient scaling.
Weapons & Defense Fourth	Pulse Lasers → Shield Generators → Turrets. Only after heat signature consistently triggers yellow alerts.	Early weapons are useless if you manage heat well. Spend research on income first.
Colonists & Fleet Last	Habitats → Crew Quarters → Hangar Modules. Colonists consume credits and resources — only expand population when economy is stable.	Colonists are a resource sink, not a resource source. Premature population growth bankrupts new stations.

New Player vs Optimizer Research Path

Starminer logistics research path and optimizer planning — New players need a safe unlock baseline. Optimizers should change the order only when a real bottleneck proves it.

A tech tree guide should not give one rigid answer to every player. Beginners need a safe path that keeps the economy alive. Experienced players need a way to decide when breaking that order is correct. The baseline is Mining, Energy, Industry, then Weapons and Fleet. The exception is when your current save has a different bottleneck, such as power collapse, repair cost, missing lab inputs, or repeated attacks.

Player type	Research path	Why
New player	Unlock Mining, Energy, and Industry before chasing weapons or fleet modules.	A stable economy teaches the game faster than an expensive ship that cannot power or repair itself.
Money-focused player	Research mining output and refining efficiency before luxury modules.	Better extraction and processing create more credits for later unlocks.
Defense-focused player	Delay weapons until heat pressure actually creates attacks, then unlock shields and turrets.	Weapons too early slow the economy; weapons too late let heat punish expansion.
Builder	Research power and logistics before megastructure-style expansion.	Large builds collapse when energy, storage, and routing are underbuilt.
Optimizer	Track the current bottleneck: mining, energy, logistics, defense, or mission XP.	The best unlock is the one that fixes the slowest system in your current save.

How to Level Up Fast

Complete Missions

Highest XP/hour

Mining delivery and defense contracts give the most XP. Accept multiple missions at once and complete them in parallel.

Mine Rare Resources

Medium XP

Cobalt and Thorium give more XP per unit than Iron or Ice. Target C-class asteroids for efficient XP + credits.

Explore New Sectors

One-time XP bonus

Discovering new asteroid fields, trade stations, and anomalies grants exploration XP. Do this between mission cycles.

Defeat Alien Scouts

Combat XP

Each alien kill gives XP. Only engage when you have a patrol boat or defense platform --don't fight with mining ships.

Research Categories Overview

Category	What It Unlocks	Priority
Mining	T2/T3 Mining Lasers, Improved Smelters, Drill Upgrades	1st --your income engine
Energy	Solar Panels, Battery Banks, Small/Medium/Large Reactors	2nd --everything needs power
Industry	Basic Logistics, Refining Efficiency, Automated Conveyors	3rd --improves throughput
Weapons	Pulse Lasers, Shield Generators, Turret Platforms	4th --when heat triggers attacks
Colonists	Habitats, Crew Quarters, Life Support Upgrades	5th --population is a resource sink
Fleet	Hangar Modules, Capital Ship frames, Fleet Commands	6th --late-game expansion
Megastructures	Large-scale stations requiring multiple T2 sockets	Last --endgame content

Common Research Mistakes

Starminer mining research mistake diagnosis — Most research mistakes come from unlocking exciting modules before the economy, power, logistics, or heat pressure can support them.

Mistake	What happens	Fix
Researching weapons too early	You spend credits on combat before heat creates real combat pressure.	Build income first, then add weapons when attacks start costing time or repairs.
Ignoring energy	New modules brown out or stop working after expansion.	Add panels, batteries, and reactors before adding more consumers.
Skipping logistics	Resources exist but do not reach labs, storage, or production.	Research conveyors, routing, and refining before scaling mining volume again.
Building a lab with no worker	The Research Lab exists but progress feels stalled.	Assign staff and feed the lab with required materials and power.
Following a fixed order blindly	The unlock path does not match your actual bottleneck.	Use Mining to Energy to Industry as the baseline, then adjust to your save.

When to Break the Default Unlock Order

Starminer survival pressure and research order adjustment — The default order is a baseline, not a law. Break it only when the current save proves a different bottleneck is more expensive.

The safest general path is Mining, Energy, Industry, Weapons, then Fleet. That does not mean every save should follow it mechanically. A good research page needs a rule for exceptions. If power is failing, Energy jumps ahead. If heat is already causing costly attacks, Weapons become income protection. If ore is piling up because refining and transport cannot keep up, Industry is stronger than another mining upgrade. The point is to research the system that is limiting the whole station, not the category that sounds strongest in isolation.

Exception	Use when	Reason
Break into Energy early	Your station browns out after adding miners, labs, or storage automation.	Power failure stops every other plan, so energy becomes the real first priority.
Break into Weapons early	Heat pressure is already causing attacks that cost more than the next mining upgrade earns.	Defense research becomes income protection once repairs and losses are eating profit.
Break into Industry early	Ore piles up but refined inputs, storage, or transport cannot keep up.	More mining will only make the clog larger until logistics improves.
Delay Colonists	You cannot feed, power, or house them without slowing research.	Population is useful only after the economy can support the extra demand.
Delay Fleet	Your starter station still lacks stable mining, energy, and repairs.	A larger fleet multiplies the same problems if the base economy is weak.

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: What is the best Starminer tech tree unlock order?

Prioritize Mining first, then Energy, then Industry. Add Weapons when heat attracts attacks, and delay Fleet or Megastructures until your income and power base are stable.

Q: How does research work in Starminer?

Research requires credits and a Research Lab. Build a Research Lab (100 Iron, 50 Silicones, 10 Cobalt, 500 Energy), assign a worker, and it generates research points passively. Spend credits in the Operations Interface to Research tab to unlock modules across 6 categories.

Q: What should I research first in Starminer?

Mining modules first (T2 Mining Lasers, Improved Smelters), then Energy (Solar Panels to Battery Banks to Small Reactors), then Industry (Basic Logistics, Refining Efficiency). Weapons and Fleet come last --only when heat management fails and alien attacks begin.

Q: How do I level up fast for research unlocks?

Complete missions from the Operations Interface for the most XP. Mining also grants XP but at a slower rate. Each level up unlocks new researchable items and grants a new perk point.

Q: Where is the Research tab?

Click the Operations Interface (bottom left of screen) to Research tab. Categories: General, Colonists, Mining, Industry, Weapons, Fleet, and Megastructures.