Difference between revisions of "Belters Guide to Asteroid Mining (IF)"

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=== Belter’s Guide to Asteroids ===
 
=== Belter’s Guide to Asteroids ===
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Prospecting in the Belt is equal parts skill, patience, and luck. The goal is to find what’s worth hauling or selling, while avoiding months of work on a dead rock or being crushed, irradiated, being lost in space, psychosis, and other dangers. A prospector’s reputation comes not just from what they find, but from how cleanly they work and how well they protect a claim.
+
Belt prospecting is high-danger, high-profit. 
 +
A single rich pocket can make a crew wealthy for life — or paint a target on their backs. 
 +
Prospecting in the Belt is equal parts skill, patience, and luck.
 +
The aim is to find what’s worth hauling or selling while avoiding months of work on a dead rock — or worse, being crushed, irradiated, lost in space, or driven to psychosis.
 +
A prospector’s reputation comes not just from what they find, but from how cleanly they work, how well they defend a claim, and how they relate to competitors. 
 +
In the end, it is all about humanity versus a space that constantly tries to kill you, and humans are expected to aid each other even when competing.
 +
 
 +
Not all prospecting is in the Belt, near-Earth asteroids and Jupiter's trojans are also heavily mined, and salvage around Mercury is dangerous but very rich.
  
 
'''1. First Approach'''
 
'''1. First Approach'''
−
From tens of thousands of kilometers out, basic classification is possible. Albedo and thermal readings tell you if it’s ice, rock, or regolith. Spectroscopy — often done with a pulsed laser ablating a few milligrams — reveals likely surface minerals. Multiple readings from all over the body help map surface variation. Dust trails drifting from the asteroid can also be sampled, sometimes revealing signs of past or hidden mining activity. Collisions and mining releases plumes and dust that can be analyzed and backtracked. Every prospector has their own favorite tricks and superstitions as well kept secrets.
+
From kilometers out, basic classification is possible. Albedo and thermal readings reveal ice, rock, or regolith. A pulsed laser can ablate a few milligrams for spectroscopy, mapping surface minerals. Multiple readings help chart variation across the body. Dust plumes from collisions or mining can be sampled and backtracked, sometimes exposing hidden activity. Every prospector has their own tricks and superstitions, often kept as closely guarded as the claims themselves.
  
 
'''2. Close Survey'''
 
'''2. Close Survey'''
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Docking means matching spin — a slow rotator is simple, a tumbler needs grapples, nets, or harpoons. Once attached, the prospector runs a full survey:
+
Docking means matching spin — easy for a slow rotator, but a tumbler needs grapples, nets, or harpoons. This is where your ship is in the most danger. Once attached, a full survey includes:
 
* Ground-penetrating radar for internal layers and cavities.
 
* Ground-penetrating radar for internal layers and cavities.
−
* Sonic mapping to detect density changes.
+
* Sonic mapping for density changes.
−
* Drill cores for assay and structural samples.
+
* Drill cores for assay and structure.
  
−
Spin state, stability, and proximity to trade routes matter almost as much as ore content — some otherwise marginal rocks are worth working just because they’re easy to reach and handle, but many of these have already been claimed. As mining expands, there are constantly new space and new orbits worth prospecting. Distant areas retain their profitable secrets, but are also less predictable and leave you further away from assistance.
+
Spin state, stability, and proximity to trade routes can matter as much as ore content. Many easy-to-handle bodies are already claimed, but new orbits and unsettled zones appear as mining expands. Distant targets hold richer secrets, but leave you far from help.
  
−
'''3. Selling the Claim'''
+
'''3. High-Value Prospecting'''
−
Large deposits of common ore — nickel-iron, silicates, carbonites, or volatiles — are medium-value. The fastest profit is to sell the claim to a mining company. They bring a tug to shift it into a refinery orbit, or send a portable processor. The body is bagged to contain debris, churned to powder, and fed to the refinery. Even rock asteroids get bagged to control fragments. Company work will always recover trace amounts of higher-value material, feeding the market and reducing the price of any such finds you mine yourself.
+
Small, rich pockets of rare material — the kind worth keeping — demand precision. Belters cut minimal access tunnels, extract what they can carry, and preserve the rest for later sale. Tools include laser cutting, micro-detonations, and vacuum-safe chemical processes. This might require a supply trip, but dare you leave the claim?
  
−
'''4. High-Value Prospecting'''
+
'''4. Registering and Selling the Claim'''
−
Small, rich pockets of rare materials — the kind worth keeping — call for precision work. Belters cut minimal access tunnels, extract only what they can carry, and preserve the rest for later sale. Tools range from fine mechanical cutters to micro-detonations and vacuum-safe chemical processes.  
+
Large deposits of common ore — nickel-iron, silicates, carbonates, or volatiles — are medium-value. The quickest profit is to sell to a mining company. They’ll bring a tug to move it to refinery orbit, or send a portable processor. The body is bagged to contain debris, churned to powder, and refined.
  
 
'''5. Claims and Cleanup'''
 
'''5. Claims and Cleanup'''
−
Leaving an asteroid worse than you found it marks you as trouble. Unused tailings should be bagged or shifted to a safe dump orbit. A clean, documented claim commands a higher price than a stripped husk drifting through the Belt. Netting or electrostatic collectors are used to trap dust, though careless crews skip this, leaving a trail others may analyze and trace back to the source — risking claim jumpers or quiet theft. This is also how micro-meteors are made, you may get lynched for endangering others.
+
Leaving an asteroid in bad shape marks you as trouble. Tailings should be bagged or shifted to dump orbits. Netting or electrostatic collectors trap dust; skip this, and you risk leaving a trail to your claim — or making micrometeors that get you lynched.
  
 
=== Jackpot Finds ===
 
=== Jackpot Finds ===
−
Gold has lost much of its rarity value — Belt mining produces far more than Earth ever did — but still sees industrial use in electronics and corrosion-resistant plating. True “jackpot” materials are those rare or hard to synthesize, including:
+
Gold is no longer rare — Belt output dwarfs old Earth’s — but still valuable in electronics and plating. True jackpots are materials rare or costly to synthesize:
−
* '''Platinum group metals''' — iridium, osmium, platinum, palladium; critical for catalysis and high-performance alloys.
 
−
* '''Enriched isotopes''' — helium-3, lithium-6, and other reactor fuels; long-lived radioisotopes for medicine and power.
 
−
* '''Native volatiles''' — water ice, ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide, valuable only if near where they’re needed.
 
−
* '''Exotic crystals''' — naturally formed semiconductors, superconductors, or optics, impossible or costly to grow in labs.
 
−
* '''Native metals''' — nickel-iron cores with high cobalt content, prized for advanced alloys.
 
−
* '''Valuable Rocks''' — Some rocky asteroids are valuable because they can be used directly to provide shadow from sun storms, house habitats, bases, relay stations, observation bases, scientific research, or for other purposes. To realize such values your crew needs a wide range of knowledge, or consult with experts, who will claim a flat fee or a share of the proftis.
 
  
−
Belt prospecting is a high-danger, high-profit operation.  
+
* '''Platinum group metals''' — iridium, osmium, platinum, palladium; vital for catalysis and high-performance alloys.
−
A single rich pocket of the right material can set a crew up to retire in luxury — or make them a target.
+
* '''Enriched isotopes''' — helium-3, lithium-6, other reactor fuels; long-lived radioisotopes for medicine and power.
 +
* '''Exotic crystals''' — naturally formed semiconductors, superconductors, or optics; impossible or costly to grow in labs.
 +
* '''Valuable rocks''' — bodies suited for use as shielding from sun storms, or to host habitats, bases, relays, or research sites. Spotting these requires broad expertise.
 +
* '''Contemporary salvage''' — lost ships, drones, or station modules; value depends on intact systems, structural integrity, and legal claim resolution.
 +
* '''Pre-Fall salvage''' — remnants of Dedalus-era projects; high-quality materials, specialized components, and rare engineering solutions from the last great wave of solar industry.
 +
* '''Solar salvage''' — abandoned pre-Fall solar collectors and support trusses knocked from station orbit. Their panels can act as sails, sending entire structures drifting far across the system.

Latest revision as of 15:20, 14 August 2025

Icarus FallIcarus Fall logo placeholder
Hard Science-Fiction Setting

Belter’s Guide to Asteroids

Belt prospecting is high-danger, high-profit. A single rich pocket can make a crew wealthy for life — or paint a target on their backs. Prospecting in the Belt is equal parts skill, patience, and luck. The aim is to find what’s worth hauling or selling while avoiding months of work on a dead rock — or worse, being crushed, irradiated, lost in space, or driven to psychosis. A prospector’s reputation comes not just from what they find, but from how cleanly they work, how well they defend a claim, and how they relate to competitors. In the end, it is all about humanity versus a space that constantly tries to kill you, and humans are expected to aid each other even when competing.

Not all prospecting is in the Belt, near-Earth asteroids and Jupiter's trojans are also heavily mined, and salvage around Mercury is dangerous but very rich.

1. First Approach From kilometers out, basic classification is possible. Albedo and thermal readings reveal ice, rock, or regolith. A pulsed laser can ablate a few milligrams for spectroscopy, mapping surface minerals. Multiple readings help chart variation across the body. Dust plumes from collisions or mining can be sampled and backtracked, sometimes exposing hidden activity. Every prospector has their own tricks and superstitions, often kept as closely guarded as the claims themselves.

2. Close Survey Docking means matching spin — easy for a slow rotator, but a tumbler needs grapples, nets, or harpoons. This is where your ship is in the most danger. Once attached, a full survey includes:

  • Ground-penetrating radar for internal layers and cavities.
  • Sonic mapping for density changes.
  • Drill cores for assay and structure.

Spin state, stability, and proximity to trade routes can matter as much as ore content. Many easy-to-handle bodies are already claimed, but new orbits and unsettled zones appear as mining expands. Distant targets hold richer secrets, but leave you far from help.

3. High-Value Prospecting Small, rich pockets of rare material — the kind worth keeping — demand precision. Belters cut minimal access tunnels, extract what they can carry, and preserve the rest for later sale. Tools include laser cutting, micro-detonations, and vacuum-safe chemical processes. This might require a supply trip, but dare you leave the claim?

4. Registering and Selling the Claim Large deposits of common ore — nickel-iron, silicates, carbonates, or volatiles — are medium-value. The quickest profit is to sell to a mining company. They’ll bring a tug to move it to refinery orbit, or send a portable processor. The body is bagged to contain debris, churned to powder, and refined.

5. Claims and Cleanup Leaving an asteroid in bad shape marks you as trouble. Tailings should be bagged or shifted to dump orbits. Netting or electrostatic collectors trap dust; skip this, and you risk leaving a trail to your claim — or making micrometeors that get you lynched.

Jackpot Finds

Gold is no longer rare — Belt output dwarfs old Earth’s — but still valuable in electronics and plating. True jackpots are materials rare or costly to synthesize:

  • Platinum group metals — iridium, osmium, platinum, palladium; vital for catalysis and high-performance alloys.
  • Enriched isotopes — helium-3, lithium-6, other reactor fuels; long-lived radioisotopes for medicine and power.
  • Exotic crystals — naturally formed semiconductors, superconductors, or optics; impossible or costly to grow in labs.
  • Valuable rocks — bodies suited for use as shielding from sun storms, or to host habitats, bases, relays, or research sites. Spotting these requires broad expertise.
  • Contemporary salvage — lost ships, drones, or station modules; value depends on intact systems, structural integrity, and legal claim resolution.
  • Pre-Fall salvage — remnants of Dedalus-era projects; high-quality materials, specialized components, and rare engineering solutions from the last great wave of solar industry.
  • Solar salvage — abandoned pre-Fall solar collectors and support trusses knocked from station orbit. Their panels can act as sails, sending entire structures drifting far across the system.
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