Asteroid (Oolite)

Asteroid
Size (metres, W×H×L)	variable
Cargo capacity	0 TC
Cargo bay extension	N/A
Maximum speed	0 LM
Manoeuvrability	Roll: 0.1 Pitch: 0.1
Energy banks	0
Energy recharge rate	Non-existant (0)
Gun mounts	N/A
Missile slots	0
Shield boosters available	No
Military shields available	No
Hyperspace capable	No
OXP or standard	Standard
Available to player	No
Base price	N/A

Overview

Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets or planetoids, are small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun, especially in the inner Solar System; they are smaller than planets but larger than meteoroids. The term "asteroid" has historically been applied primarily to minor planets of the inner Solar System, as the outer Solar System was poorly known when it came into common usage. The distinction between asteroids and comets is made on visual appearance: Comets show a perceptible coma while asteroids do not.

Notable Features

Very rocky. Commonly used by miners in the mining of valuable ores, minerals and gemstones.

When destroyed, they break into smaller pieces, as Boulders and smaller Splinters.

Custom Paintjobs

• 

  Asteroid Storm OXP

• 

  Accessories OXP Asteroid

• 

  Griff's Asteroid

See also the various Zygo-Ugo asteroid packs linked below (ZygoUgo's Asteroids noshaders, ZygoUgo's Asteroids shady & ZygoUgo's Asteroids resources) and the Graffiti Asteroids oxp's for more effects.

Asteroid Fields

There are several oxps which affect the distribution of asteroids: Asteroid Randomizer (random asteroid placing), Asteroid Storm (new asteroid clusters) , Asteroid Remover (stops respawning destroyed asteroids) & Asteroid Tweaks (tweaks number of asteroids). Also Deep Space Pirates & Stashes which do other things too! Icesteroids introduces ice asteroids which may yield alloys on mining.

Note that Oolite asteroids appear in clumps rather than in rings around planets or belts around suns.

Asteroid Mining

To embark on a career as an asteroid miner one needs at the minimum a mining laser and fuel scoops (which can be used to scoop up the splinters and other usable fragments from the mined asteroids - boulders are too big!). STE (Scanner Target Enhancer) helps highlight for example one splinter in your viewscreen for scooping, and Target System Memory Expansion allows you to multiply the number of targeted entities.

There are a number of .oxps which can also help with this:

• The Mining IFF Scanner Upgrade allows your scanner to distinguish between asteroids, boulders and splinters.
• There are a number of oxps which help automatically target all asteroids/boulders/splinters in range (and other items too!): Target System Plugins, Target System Upgrade, Telescope, STE (included in the Vimana HUD oxp) etc.
• GalCop Missions provides a Cargo-stopper which also seems to work on asteroid splinters, where a tractor beam helps net them for your scoop!
• Ore Processor allows you to refine the mined ores yourself to extract the higher value metals and gems.
• Market Inquirer will allow you to select the best market for your mined asteroids in the solar system (you will need to also have oxps fleshing out the solar systems with more orbital stations and will need to have an Advanced Space Compass).
• Mineral Store Reset prevents the markets becoming saturated with mining products so that you can always sell your mined goods.
• To return to an asteroid field in the wilds of space, ETT Homing Beacon or Waypoint Here will identify a point in Deep Space so that you can find it again, whilst Tracker OXP will tag an asteroid so that you can find that - even if it has moved (but not if someone else mined it first!).

See Career Options (Miner) for more information & links.

GalMine Autominer (from Random Hits OXP)

Salvage Gang (from Anarchies OXP)

See Also

• Lore: where do all the asteroids come from? (2021)
• Stranger's Essay - see the concluding section on "Small bodies" in the fifth post.

OXPs

Variations on the Asteroid theme: - all on the in-game Expansions Manager

• Icesteroids
• Griff's Ice Asteroids
• Griff's Glowroids
• Graffiti Asteroids

More textures - all on the in-game Expansions Manager
Griffs:

• Griff Asteroids
• Noshader chunky exploding asteroids
• Normal and Specular+Gloss Maps for Oolite v1.88+ includes Asteroids
  

Zygo-Ugo's:

• ZygoUgo's Asteroids - noshaders
• ZygoUgo's Asteroids - shady
• ZygoUgo's Asteroids resources

Rock Hermits (populated asteroids)

• Rock Hermit
• Rock Hermit (Oolite)

Other gubbins involving asteroids

• GalMine AutoMiner - added by the Random Hits OXP
• Mining OXP - unfinished
• Free Trade Zones, Salvage Gangs, Astro Mines, & Imperial AstroFactories exist inside or attached to large asteroids