While some resources in Astroneer, such as Malachite, can be found on the game's starting planet, that is certainly not the case with all of them. For instance, players must head off-planet in order to obtain Hematite, a resource that can be refined into Iron. For those fans that may need more information about this process, full details on how to get Hematite and Iron in Astroneer can be found in what follows.
Astroneer: How to Get Hematite
The first step toward finding Hematite is to construct a Small Shuttle at a Large Printer. This vessel is created by combining two Aluminum in Astroneer, a refined resource that is made by putting Laterite into a Smelting Furnace. Once the Small Shuttle is finished, players should put their Oxygenator into it and then make their way to a Small Printer for some additional preparations.
More specifically, players should create two Solid-Fuel Thrusters in the Small Printer. One of these Thrusters should be mounted to the bottom of the Small Shuttle in Astroneer, and fans should keep the other one in their inventories in case something goes wrong while traveling through space. Players should also confirm that they have two or three stacks of Tethers in their backpacks, as well as some Small Oxygen Tanks if they have been researched.
At this point, fans can board their Small Shuttles and launch into space. Players should then set their sights on Novus, a moon of the planet Vesania, as this is one of the places where Hematite can be found. Indeed, fans should land upon Novus and dig until they encounter Hematite, which takes the form of red crystals, underground.
To note, it is possible to find Hematite on the surface of Glacio, a tundra planet in Astroneer that is far from the sun, as well. Players can also obtain Titanite from that planet, which makes it an excellent alternative to Novus. That said, fans should make sure that they are adequately prepared before making the journey to Glacio.
Astroneer: How to Make Iron
With some Hematite in hand, players can return to their bases in Astroneer and put the resource into their Smelting Furnaces. This is a process that fans will be quite familiar with at this point in the game, and it will not take long for the module to output some Iron. Players can then take that refined resource and turn it into a variety of objects, including Shredders, Platforms, and Wind Turbines.
Astroneer is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One