If you’ve ever hit a wall trying to upgrade your hyperdrive or craft high-tier ship components in No Man’s Sky, you’ve probably realized you need to track down a handful of rare, star-specific resources. Cadmium is one of the first mid-game resources that stumps new players, since it doesn’t spawn in the default yellow star systems you start exploring. This guide breaks down exactly how to get cadmium in No Man’s Sky, plus tips to farm it faster and use it to progress faster through the game.
How to Get Cadmium in No Man's Sky: First, Locate a Red Star System
Cadmium is exclusive to red star systems, so your first step is getting access to these parts of the galaxy. You’ll either need to unlock the Cadmium Hyperdrive upgrade from the Space Anomaly’s technology merchant, or get invited to a red system by another player who already has access. I’ve had plenty of runs where I warped to a system I thought was red, only to realize it was a dim orange yellow star and I’d wasted a warp cell for nothing. Always check the star system details before warping to confirm it’s classified as a red system, not just a warm-toned yellow one.
Once you land in a red system, you can find cadmium on almost every planet and moon in the system. It appears as bright red, rocky nodes on the surface of mountainous and arid planets, or as large underground deposits that show up on your resource scanner. You can also find small amounts of cadmium in cargo drops, space battle reward crates, and trade terminals at red system space stations, but these sources are far less reliable than mining it yourself.
Best Mining Gear for Fast Cadmium Farming
You can mine cadmium with a basic terrain manipulator, but upgrading your gear will cut your farming time in half and let you carry more back to your base or ship. I always pack the following gear before heading out on a cadmium run:
- Upgraded Terrain Manipulator with Mining Speed +30% mod: Cuts down mining time by nearly half for large deposits, so you don’t get stuck mining the same spot for minutes at a time
- Personal Refiner: Lets you process raw cadmium into pure cadmium on the go, no need to run back to your base to refine it before you use or sell it
- Resource Scanner Upgrade Tier 2: Highlights cadmium deposits from 800 units away, so you don’t waste time wandering around the planet looking for nodes
- Exocraft with Mining Laser Attachment: Ideal for farming large surface deposits without draining your life support, especially on planets with toxic or radioactive atmospheres
If you don’t have an exocraft yet, you can still mine cadmium effectively on foot. Just bring extra life support cells and thermal protection if you’re farming on a harsh planet. You’ll also want to leave a few empty inventory slots open, since cadmium stacks up to 999 per slot and you’ll likely fill at least one or two slots on a long farming run.
Common Cadmium Farming Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced players make these mistakes when they first start farming cadmium, so keeping these in mind will save you a lot of frustration. First, don’t waste time looking for cadmium in non-red star systems. Cadmium never spawns in yellow, green or blue star systems, no matter how many planets you scan or how many trade terminals you check. You have to be in a red system to find consistent sources of it.
Another common mistake is mining small surface nodes instead of large underground deposits. Small surface nodes only give 2-5 pieces of cadmium each, while large underground deposits can give 500+ pieces per deposit, and they’re far faster to mine if you have an upgraded terrain manipulator. Use your resource scanner to ping for large deposits first, instead of stopping to mine every small node you see on your way to a bigger deposit.
If you’re playing multiplayer, don’t forget you can ask other players for help. If you haven’t unlocked the Cadmium Hyperdrive yet, you can join a friend’s game when they’re in a red system, mine as much cadmium as you need, and bring it back to your own save. That’s a great workaround if you’re stuck trying to craft the hyperdrive upgrade and need a small amount of cadmium to unlock it in the first place.
Practical Uses for Cadmium You Should Prioritize
Once you have a steady supply of cadmium, you’ll want to use it for the most impactful upgrades first. The top priority is usually crafting the Emeril Hyperdrive upgrade, which lets you access green star systems and find even rarer resources. Next, use cadmium to craft high-tier ship upgrades like shield boosters and hyperdrive range mods, which make exploration far safer and faster.
You can also use cadmium to build advanced base components, like upgraded teleporters that let you jump between bases from further away, and large storage silos that hold more resources than basic storage containers. If you have extra cadmium left over, refining it into pure cadmium and selling it at space stations is a great way to make quick units. Pure cadmium sells for roughly 320 units per piece, so a full stack can net you over 300,000 units in one sale. That’s enough to buy a new mid-tier ship or a handful of rare upgrade mods at the anomaly.
You can also use small amounts of cadmium to craft warp cells if you’re low on other resources, but I usually save my cadmium for upgrades instead of using it for consumables. Warp cells are far cheaper to craft with ferrite dust and di-hydrogen, which you can find in every star system.
At the end of the day, learning how to get cadmium in No Man's Sky is a small but critical step to unlocking the full galaxy for exploration. Once you have a steady supply, you'll be able to upgrade your gear, jump to more distant star systems, and take on harder challenges without getting stuck waiting for rare resources. Don't be afraid to team up with other players to get your first batch if you haven't unlocked the red star hyperdrive yet, and always prioritize large underground deposits for the fastest farming runs.
