How to Find & Get Lithium In Astroneer

Lithium is an essential resource in Astroneer, but you won’t find it on your starting planet. This guide will walk you through the best locations to find lithium and the most efficient methods to extract it. Whether you’re a new player or just starting your space exploration, understanding where and how to gather lithium will accelerate your progression in the game.

Prerequisites: Getting Off Your Starting Planet

The first critical step is understanding that lithium cannot be obtained on the initial planet where you start the game. You must progress far enough to construct and obtain a shuttle, which will allow you to travel to other planets in your solar system. This is a necessary milestone before you can begin hunting for lithium deposits.

Best Planets for Lithium Mining

Vesania (Recommended)

Vesania is the recommended destination for lithium hunting. On this planet, you can find lithium in two distinct locations: within cave systems and in the mountainous regions. The cave environments are particularly rich with lithium deposits, making it an excellent choice for efficient resource gathering. Additionally, Vesania also features tightenite in the mountains if you need additional resources during your expedition.

Novus (Alternative Option)

If you prefer an alternative location, Novus is another viable option. On Novus, lithium can be found exclusively in the mountainous regions rather than in caves. This may be preferable if you want to avoid cave exploration and prefer surface mining instead.

Navigating Cave Systems on Vesania

Vesania is a visually stunning planet with beautiful cave systems. Upon arrival, you’ll quickly locate cave entrances. However, the cave walls present a unique challenge: they feature numerous large stalactites and irregular formations that make it difficult to identify proper mining spots. Many wall sections will have awkward angles that prevent you from cleanly excavating downward without breaking through the sides.

Be patient as you navigate deeper into the caves. The walls may initially appear problematic for mining, with formations that don’t allow for straightforward drilling. Keep exploring until you reach deeper sections of the cave system.

Identifying and Mining Lithium Deposits

Once you’ve descended sufficiently into the cave system, you’ll encounter a distinctive spindly material—this is your lithium. The lithium ore has a recognizable texture that sets it apart from standard cave walls and other resources.

Mining lithium is straightforward: simply left-click on the deposit to begin extraction. You can continue mining until you’ve collected all available lithium from the deposit. However, be prepared for a challenge—the stone surrounding lithium is typically quite hard and resistant to standard mining.

Recommended Tool: Drill Mod 1

Due to the hardness of the surrounding stone, it’s highly recommended that you equip a Drill Mod 1 on your mining tool before attempting to extract lithium. This upgrade will significantly increase your mining efficiency and reduce the time required to harvest the resource.

Summary

Finding and mining lithium in Astroneer requires progression beyond your starting planet and travel to destinations like Vesania or Novus. Once on Vesania, descend into the cave systems and look for the distinctive spindly lithium deposits. Equip a Drill Mod 1 to handle the hard stone effectively, then left-click to mine all available lithium from each deposit. With patience and proper preparation, you’ll successfully gather the lithium you need for your Astroneer adventures.

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