While progressing through the building and crafting systems in Astroneer, you will eventually start unlocking more advanced technology that requires stronger and more complex materials. One of the most important resources you will run into during the mid-to-late game is Steel.
Steel is used in the creation of several advanced machines and modules, including cranes, hydrazine thrusters, large equipment, and other important base upgrades. Because of how many items rely on it, Steel becomes a material you will likely need to craft multiple times throughout your playthrough.
At first, it might seem confusing to figure out how Steel is made since it requires multiple resources and a special crafting station. Fortunately, once you understand the process, producing Steel becomes fairly simple and can be done consistently once you gather the required materials.
In this guide, we will walk through everything you need to know to start crafting Steel in Astroneer, including the equipment required and where to find each ingredient.
Chemistry Lab
Before you can craft Steel, the first thing you will need is a Chemistry Lab. This machine is essential for creating advanced resources because it allows you to combine multiple materials into more complex compounds.
Unlike basic materials that can simply be smelted in the Smelting Furnace, Steel requires several different ingredients to be combined together at once. The Chemistry Lab acts as the workstation where these materials are processed.
If you have not built a Chemistry Lab yet, you will need to unlock it through the research catalog using bytes. Once unlocked, you can print it at your base and place it somewhere with enough power to operate.
After setting up your Chemistry Lab, you will be ready to start gathering the materials needed to create Steel.
Carbon
The first ingredient required to craft Steel is Carbon.
Carbon is one of the easier materials to obtain in Astroneer because it can be created from Organic, which is one of the most common resources in the game. Organic can be collected almost anywhere by digging up plants, grass, or other small vegetation that appears on the surface of most planets.
Once you collect Organic, bring it back to your base and place it into your Smelting Furnace. The furnace will convert the Organic into Carbon after a short processing time.
Because Organic is extremely common, Carbon is usually the least difficult part of crafting Steel. You can easily gather large amounts of Organic while exploring or gathering other materials.
Argon
The second material required for Steel is Argon, which is an atmospheric gas rather than a solid resource.
To collect Argon, you will need to build an Atmospheric Condenser. This machine allows you to extract gases directly from a planet’s atmosphere.
Not every planet contains the same gases, so you will need to travel to a specific location to obtain Argon. The best place to collect it is the planet Glacio, which contains Argon in its atmosphere.
Once you arrive on Glacio, place your Atmospheric Condenser and power it. The machine will begin slowly extracting Argon gas and storing it in canisters.
Gas collection can take some time, so it is a good idea to let the condenser run while you gather other nearby resources.
Iron
The final ingredient required to craft Steel is Iron.
Iron is made by smelting a resource called Hematite. Hematite is a red mineral deposit that can be found naturally on certain planets.
One of the best places to gather Hematite is Glacio, which makes this planet especially convenient since you can collect both Argon and Hematite during the same trip.
While exploring the surface of Glacio, keep an eye out for dark red mineral nodes. Use your terrain tool to mine the Hematite and collect it.
After gathering enough Hematite, bring it back to your base and place it into the Smelting Furnace. The furnace will process the Hematite and convert it into Iron.
Making Steel
Once you have gathered Carbon, Argon, and Iron, you are finally ready to produce Steel.
Head back to your Chemistry Lab and place the three materials into the machine. The Chemistry Lab will combine the resources together and begin the crafting process.
After a short moment, the machine will finish processing the materials and produce Steel.
Steel can then be used to craft a variety of advanced equipment that will help improve both your base and your ability to explore other planets.
Because Steel is required for several important upgrades, it is a good idea to gather extra Carbon, Argon, and Iron whenever possible. Having a steady supply of Steel will make it much easier to build new machines and continue progressing through Astroneer.
