Limpets controlled by this module can be fired at the surface of a mineable [sic] asteroids to discover the composition of it, aiding in efficient mining. Once deployed the information about composition can [sic] be obtained via targeting the limpet and consulting the cockpit interface.
— In-Game Description
The Prospector Limpet Controller is a type of Limpet Controller module that can program limpets to scan asteroids and determine their composition. The composition of the asteroid, which consists of either two or three different resources, and the amount of resources remaining can be seen by targeting the limpet attached to that asteroid. Targeting the attached limpet also shows the locations and types of any mineral deposits present in the asteroid. While using a Prospector Limpet is not required to mine an asteroid, the data provided allows more resources to be extracted.
Usage[]
Prospector drone
To use the Prospector Limpet Controller, assign it to a fire group and carry limpets in the ship's cargo hold. Point the ship at an asteroid in range and use the fire group to launch a prospector limpet. There is a delay between button press and limpet launch so keep the ship pointed at the asteroid to avoid missing it. The prospector limpet flies in a straight line until it impacts an asteroid. Targeting the attached limpet displays the asteroid's composition on the ship's target info display. Any mineral deposits will also be highlighted on the asteroid so they can be targeted and mined.[1]
When the maximum number of active prospector limpets has been reached, launching a new prospector limpet will destroy the oldest active limpet and will play the audio alert "Prospector limpet failure" for the expired limpet.
Fragment Yield Increase[]
Prospector drones multiply the quantity of fragments that can be obtained from an asteroid, based on the limpet controller's rating letter (the module's class number has no effect on yield).
| Limpet Controller Rating | Fragment Yield Multiplier |
|---|---|
| A | 3.5x |
| B | 3.0x |
| C | 2.5x |
| D | 2.0x |
| E | 1.5x |
In general, a prospected asteroid will yield anywhere from 20 to 40+ fragments, a considerable difference from the yield without a drone. Note yield increase is not applied retroactively. For example: a 10-fragment asteroid prospected with a D-rated prospector from the start will yield 20 fragments. If that same asteroid was mined for 5 fragments before using a D-rated prospector, the remaining 5 possible fragments will yield 10 fragments for a total yield of 15 fragments.
A resultant technique involves chipping off a single fragment from an asteroid to determine its composition without using a prospector drone and then mining the rest of the asteroid with a prospector drone attached. This allows you to save limpet drones for only the asteroids you want to mine while only losing one fragment per asteroid. Bear in mind that a fragment can only contain a maximum of two resources while asteroids can contain up to three, so the first fragment may not tell you all of the resources the asteroid contains.
Specifications[]
| Class | Rating | Mass (T) | Integrity | Value (CR) | Power draw | Max Active Limpets | Active Range (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | 1.30 | B | 600 | 0.180 | 1 | 3,000 |
| 1 | D | 0.50 | A | 1,200 | 0.140 | 1 | 4,000 |
| 1 | C | 1.30 | A | 2,400 | 0.230 | 1 | 5,000 |
| 1 | B | 2.00 | A | 4,800 | 0.320 | 1 | 6,000 |
| 1 | A | 1.30 | A | 9,600 | 0.280 | 1 | 7,000 |
| 3 | E | 5.00 | A | 5,400 | 0.200 | 2 | 3,300 |
| 3 | D | 2.00 | A | 10,800 | 0.270 | 2 | 4,400 |
| 3 | C | 5.00 | A | 21,600 | 0.340 | 2 | 5,500 |
| 3 | B | 8.00 | A | 43,200 | 0.480 | 2 | 6,600 |
| 3 | A | 5.00 | A | 86,400 | 0.410 | 2 | 7,700 |
| 5 | E | 20.00 | A | 48,600 | 0.300 | 4 | 3,900 |
| 5 | D | 8.00 | A | 97,200 | 0.400 | 4 | 5,200 |
| 5 | C | 20.00 | A | 194,400 | 0.500 | 4 | 6,500 |
| 5 | B | 32.00 | A | 388,800 | 0.600 | 4 | 7,800 |
| 5 | A | 20.00 | A | 777,600 | 0.700 | 4 | 9,100 |
| 7 | E | 80.00 | A | 437,400 | 0.410 | 8 | 5,100 |
| 7 | D | 32.00 | A | 874,800 | 0.550 | 8 | 6,800 |
| 7 | C | 80.00 | A | 1,749,600 | 0.690 | 8 | 8,500 |
| 7 | B | 128.00 | A | 3,499,200 | 0.970 | 8 | 10,200 |
| 7 | A | 80.00 | A | 6,998,400 | 0.830 | 8 | 11,900 |
Engineer Modifications[]
The following modifications can be applied to this module by Engineers to enhance its abilities:
Notes[]
- Limpets are stored in the ship's cargo-hold.
