If you’ve logged into No Man’s Sky in 2026, you’ve probably noticed uranium is more essential than ever. It powers your launch thrusters, runs large base systems, and sells for a premium at most trade terminals across the galaxy. I’ve spent over 120 hours exploring new 2026 update biomes this year, and I’ve tested every method to source this radioactive resource without wasting hours on low-yield planets. This guide breaks down exactly how to get uranium in No Man’s Sky, from quick one-off mining runs to permanent farms that give you unlimited stock.
How to Get Uranium in No Man’s Sky: Basic Surface Mining Methods
The simplest way to get your first batch of uranium is surface mining on the right type of planet. Uranium only spawns naturally on irradiated biomes, which you can spot on the galaxy map by their faint green glow and the radioactive hazard tag next to the planet name. You don’t need super rare gear to start, but a couple of key upgrades will make the process way faster and safer.
First, make sure you have the Advanced Mining Laser upgrade installed on your multi-tool. The basic mining laser only extracts 30% of the uranium from each deposit, and takes twice as long to break through the rock. Second, equip at least a tier 2 radiation protection EPP upgrade for your exosuit, and pack 5 to 10 extra radiation shielding tablets for longer mining runs. Even with tier 3 protection, you’ll take small amounts of damage if you stay out during irradiated storm events, so the extra pills are a good safety net.
Once you land on an irradiated planet, activate your analysis visor to ping nearby uranium deposits. They show up as bright yellow markers, and you can see the total yield of each deposit before you even walk over. Small loose uranium rocks also spawn randomly across the surface, and you can pick these up without using your mining laser. I usually grab all the loose ones I see on my way to a large deposit, and I end up with an extra 50 to 70 units of uranium per trip for no extra effort.
Reliable Uranium Farming Locations for 2026 Game Builds
The 2026 No Man’s Sky content update adjusted resource spawn rates, so some old location tricks no longer work as well. After testing 17 different star systems over the past two months, I’ve narrowed down the most consistent spots to find high volumes of uranium with minimal effort. You don’t have to stick to these spots, but they’ll cut your search time down by 70% on average.
Skip irradiated planets around yellow or red stars if you can, their spawn rates are way lower after the 2026 update. O-type star systems are almost always worth the extra warp cell cost to reach. I recently landed on an irradiated moon around an O-type star where I filled two full inventory slots of uranium in 22 minutes, no extra upgrades needed beyond the advanced mining laser.
Building a Permanent Uranium Farm for Unlimited Supply
If you use a lot of uranium for base power or high-volume trading, building a permanent extraction farm is the most low-effort way to keep your stock full long term. The 2026 update buffed extractor efficiency by 30%, so even a small farm can generate thousands of units of uranium per week without you having to do any mining.
First, use your survey scanner to find a large uranium deposit with a yield of at least 250 units per hour. Higher yield deposits are better, but 250 is the minimum to make the farm worth the building resources. Place a mineral extractor directly over the center of the deposit, then connect it to as many supply depots as you want. You can chain up to 4 depots per extractor to hold more harvested uranium before you have to empty it.
You can power the extractor with small amounts of uranium to keep it running, or set up solar panels and batteries if you don’t want to use your harvested stock to run the farm. The 2026 No Man’s Sky resource spawn update notes confirm that extractors now keep running even when you’re in a different star system, so you don’t have to stay nearby to collect your yield. I recommend placing a teleporter right next to your farm, so you can pop over from any space station or other base to empty the depots in 10 seconds.
One quick tip: don’t build your farm near aggressive fauna or sentient plants. I made that mistake with my first uranium farm, and I had to fight off 3 hostile creatures every time I came to collect resources. I ended up moving the entire farm 200 meters away to a flatter, clearer area, and it saved me a lot of hassle long term.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Gathering Uranium
I’ve made almost every possible mistake while sourcing uranium over the past year, and these are the ones that cost me the most time and resources. Avoiding these will make your uranium gathering runs way smoother, even if you’re a brand new player.
The biggest mistake I see new players make is skipping radiation protection upgrades before landing on an irradiated planet. Even if you only plan to stay for 5 minutes, a random storm can pop up and drain your protection in 60 seconds, forcing you to flee back to your ship empty handed. Always pack extra radiation shielding tablets even if you have tier 3 EPP protection, just in case.
Another common mistake is selling all your uranium when you find a good trade offer. Uranium sells for a nice premium, but you’ll need it for launch fuel, crafting high-tech components, and powering base systems later on. I always keep at least 200 units of uranium in my inventory at all times, so I never get stuck stranded on a planet with no launch fuel.
Don’t ignore small uranium deposits either. A lot of players only target the largest, highest-yield deposits, but the smaller ones add up fast. If you’re already passing by a small deposit on your way to a larger one, take 30 seconds to mine it. You’ll end up with way more total uranium per run for very little extra time.
At the end of the day, learning how to get uranium in No Man's Sky doesn’t have to be a frustrating grind if you follow these 2026 tips. Start with basic surface mining on an O-type star irradiated planet to get your first batch of stock, then set up a permanent extractor farm once you find a high-yield deposit. I’ve used these methods to build 3 separate uranium farms across different star systems, and I haven’t had to hunt for or buy uranium in over 6 months. Try the O-type star planet tip first on your next play session, it’s the fastest way to stock up on enough uranium to last you weeks of exploration.
