How To Get Ammonium On The First Planet In Astroneer

Ammonium is one of the resources you’ll need early in Astroneer, but it can be tricky to locate on your starting planet. Fortunately, there are two reliable methods to obtain it: finding it naturally in the environment or crafting it using a soil centrifuge. This guide walks you through both approaches so you can choose the method that works best for your situation.

Method 1: Finding Ammonium in the Wild

The simplest way to get ammonium is to explore your starting planet and search for it naturally. Keep running through the terrain, particularly in woodland areas, and you’ll eventually spot ammonium deposits.

Ammonium is fairly rare compared to other resources on your home planet, so be prepared for an extended search. You may need to run quite a distance before finding a source. Once you locate it, you can harvest it just like any other resource by clicking on it.

In some cases, you might find multiple ammonium deposits in different directions from your base, each at similar distances. The search requires patience, but it’s a completely viable method if you have the time to explore.

Method 2: Crafting Ammonium Using the Soil Centrifuge

If exploring feels too time-consuming, you can craft ammonium using a soil centrifuge. This machine requires only one soil to produce ammonium, making it an efficient alternative.

Step 1: Create a Soil Canister

Start by crafting a soil canister at your small printer. You have three options:

Small canister: Requires 1 resin

Medium fluid and soil canister: Requires 1 plastic and 1 glass

Large canister: Also available

For this guide, we’ll use the small canister since it only requires 1 resin, making it the easiest option.

Step 2: Attach the Canister to Your Terrain Gun

Once you’ve crafted your canister, attach it to your terrain gun. The canister will sit on top of the gun, ready to collect soil.

Step 3: Collect Soil

Use your terrain gun to extract soil from the ground. Make sure you’re targeting actual soil and not organic material. You’ll see an orange light appear on the canister as it fills up. Once the light turns green, your canister is full.

Note: The canister doesn’t have to stay on your terrain gun—it can work just as effectively in your inventory or backpack in any slot.

Step 4: Process Soil at the Centrifuge

Return to your soil centrifuge and place your filled soil canister on top of it. Press F to examine the machine, and you’ll see it’s ready to process your soil.

You can fill the centrifuge with multiple canister loads if needed. Once you’ve added soil, simply click the switch and activate the button. The centrifuge will spin and process the soil into ammonium.

Summary

Both methods for obtaining ammonium on your first planet in Astroneer have their advantages. If you enjoy exploration and have patience, searching the wilderness is free and straightforward. However, if you’re in a hurry or prefer a more controlled approach, the soil centrifuge method is reliable and produces ammonium consistently. You can also use both methods together—craft small amounts while you explore, ensuring you always have the resources you need to progress.

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