Copper ore

Copper ore is the raw mineral used to produce copper products. In the Space Age expansion, the availability and methods of obtaining copper ore differ by surface and are specific to each planet or platform.

On Nauvis, copper ore appears in surface patches and is gathered using miners and drills in the same way as in the base game. On space platforms, copper ore is produced from metallic asteroid chunks collected by asteroid collectors: the chunks are processed in crushers using the advanced metallic asteroid crushing recipe to yield copper ore. On Gleba, copper ore is produced biologically: copper bacteria can be obtained sustainably by cultivating them in biochambers, starting from yumako mash and then feeding the bacteria with bioflux; allowing those copper bacteria to spoil yields copper ore. On Vulcanus, copper ore exists in rocks on the planet’s surface and most copper products are manufactured in foundries from molten copper that is extracted from inexhaustible lava using calcite. Copper ore is not available on Fulgora; instead, copper plates are obtained by recycling low density structure, copper cable and batteries, all of which can themselves be produced from recycling scrap. Copper ore is also not available on Aquilo, and copper and copper products must be imported to that surface.

Practical notes:

• When operating on Nauvis, use electric miners or burner drills to mine copper ore patches and feed smelters for copper plate production.
• On space platforms, prioritize asteroid collectors and crushers with the advanced metallic asteroid crushing recipe to convert asteroid material into copper ore.
• On Gleba, set up sustainable biochamber lines: produce yumako mash, cultivate copper bacteria with bioflux, and plan for spoilage processing to obtain steady copper ore output.
• On Vulcanus, exploit lava-based molten copper production in foundries using calcite for a near-continuous supply of copper feedstock for high-volume items.
• On Fulgora, rely on recycling systems to obtain copper plates rather than raw copper ore; design recycling lines for low density structure, copper cable, and batteries to meet copper needs.
• On Aquilo, arrange import logistics for copper and copper products because copper ore deposits are not available locally.

Production decisions should follow surface constraints: if copper ore deposits are present, direct mining or asteroid processing is efficient; if not, recycling and import routes are the required alternatives.