Star Citizen MOLE Guide: Mining, Crew, Cargo & Price

The ARGO MOLE is Star Citizen's medium multi-crew mining ship, built around three independently operated mining stations rather than a single pilot-controlled laser. Current Alpha 4.10 data gives the standard MOLE 96 SCU of ore capacity, a separate 32 SCU cargo grid, three Size 2 Arbor MH2 mining lasers, and a current crew range of 2–4.

Its main advantage is coordinated mining. A pilot can keep the ship positioned while dedicated operators fracture and extract material, and the three mining stations can run different mining setups. The same layout is also its biggest limitation: the pilot cannot simply operate the mining system from the cockpit. The MOLE makes the most sense for players who regularly mine with a small crew rather than solo miners looking for a straightforward larger Prospector.

MOLE Specifications in Alpha 4.10

SpecificationCurrent Alpha 4.10
Manufacturer	ARGO Astronautics
Role	Medium mining
Status	Flight Ready
Crew	2–4
Length	45 m
Width	26 m
Height	15 m
Ore capacity	96 SCU
Standard cargo grid	32 SCU
Mining stations	3 independent manned stations
Stock mining lasers	3 × Size 2 Arbor MH2
SCM speed	140 m/s
Max/NAV speed	960 m/s
Shield	1 × Size 3, 100,000 HP
Defensive guns	2 × Size 2 CF-227 Badger repeaters
Current MSRP reference	$315
Lowest listed in-game purchase price	8,483,740 aUEC

Current Alpha 4.10 vehicle data supplies the dimensions, 96 SCU ore storage, 32 SCU cargo grid, 140 m/s SCM speed, 960 m/s NAV speed, current shield configuration, mining heads, defensive weapons, crew data, and $315 MSRP reference.

What the MOLE Does Better Than a Prospector

The MOLE's defining advantage is parallel mining capability.

Each of its three mining stations operates independently. Several crewmates can apply mining power to the same difficult deposit, or divide extraction work once material has been fractured. Current Alpha 4.10 vehicle data shows three manned mining stations equipped with Size 2 Arbor MH2 lasers, while CIG's MOLE Q&A confirms that each laser is independently controlled.

That changes the workflow more than the raw storage number suggests. A dedicated pilot can concentrate on scanning, positioning, and moving between deposits while the mining crew stays at its stations. CIG also confirmed that different mining attachments can be installed across the three arms, allowing a crew to bring complementary setups instead of relying on one configuration for every rock.

The MOLE also carries 96 SCU of current ore storage, compared with 32 SCU on a Prospector.

That does not automatically make one MOLE better than three Prospectors. Three independent ships can spread out to search a wider area and do not dedicate one player purely to moving a shared hull. The MOLE instead keeps the crew, mining hardware, and ore storage together. Its advantage appears when a group prefers coordinated extraction from one platform rather than operating several separate ships.

The MOLE Has 96 SCU of Current Ore Capacity, Not 288 SCU

For normal Alpha 4.10 gameplay, 96 SCU is the relevant MOLE ore-capacity figure.

Current Live-derived vehicle data separately reports:

• Ore storage: 96 SCU

• Cargo grid: 32 SCU

The 32 SCU cargo grid should not be added to the ore capacity and described as 128 SCU of mineable storage. They are separate storage systems.

The larger 288 SCU figure comes from the MOLE's mineral-pod design rather than its simultaneously usable mining capacity. CIG's March 2950 Subscriber Promotions article states that the ship has 24 mineral pods holding 12 SCU each, but only eight pods are usable at one time.

Eight usable 12-SCU pods equal 96 SCU.

The full 24-pod design totals 288 SCU mathematically, but that does not mean a standard MOLE can fill 288 SCU of ore before returning or exchanging pods. Using 288 SCU as the ship's normal current mining capacity therefore overstates what the ship carries in one active load.

There is also a current persistence detail worth knowing. The Star Citizen Wiki's Alpha 4.10.0 update record notes that ore and commodity containers were added to Long Term Persistence. It also records that ore pods supplied with ships remain tied to item recovery and do not preserve contained ore in the same way as in-game purchased pods.

Crew Requirements and Solo Use

Current vehicle data lists the MOLE for 2–4 crew, while CIG described its intended full layout as a four-crew ship: one pilot with three independently operated mining stations.

A two-player crew can already make the layout functional. One player flies and positions the ship while the other remains in a mining station. You retain the 96 SCU ore capacity and Size 2 mining hardware, but two mining stations sit unused.

With three players, a pilot can support two active mining operators. That gives the crew more ability to combine laser output, divide extraction work, or carry different mining configurations without needing a full group.

At four players, all three mining stations can be staffed while one player remains dedicated to flying. That is the ship's complete crew layout, not a requirement for taking it out.

Can You Solo the MOLE?

Yes, but the current control layout makes solo operation inefficient.

CIG's MOLE Q&A is explicit on this point. Each mining laser requires someone sitting in its mining seat, one player cannot control all three simultaneously, and the pilot cannot operate them from the flight seat through a computer blade.

A solo player can position the ship beside a deposit, leave the cockpit, and move to one of the mining stations. However, the laser switches off once that player leaves the seat.

That creates repeated seat changes whenever the ship needs to move. You scan and position from the cockpit, walk to a mining station, work the deposit, then return to the pilot seat when another adjustment is required.

For a stable deposit that can be reached comfortably from one station, the process is workable. It becomes increasingly awkward when mining requires frequent repositioning or when several lasers would materially improve the fracture.

The MOLE's 96 SCU capacity and Size 2 mining hardware can still appeal to a player willing to tolerate that workflow, but being able to fly the MOLE alone is not the same as operating it efficiently alone.

Mining Heads and Loadout

The standard Alpha 4.10 MOLE mounts three Size 2 Arbor MH2 mining lasers, one at each manned mining station.

The more useful feature is that the stations do not have to share an identical configuration. CIG confirmed that different mining attachments can be installed across the arms, so a crew can prepare different stations for different mining conditions.

That can be more valuable than simply stacking identical lasers. One station might be configured around difficult fracture work while another is better suited to extraction or a different type of deposit. A coordinated crew can then bring the appropriate mining arm onto the target instead of changing a single setup every time conditions change.

The MOLE does not have an onboard refinery. CIG has consistently treated refining as a separate function, so extracted material still has to move into the wider refinery and hauling loop after the mining run.

Alpha 4.10 also has a mining-specific known issue. CIG's current Known Issues page lists Mining Gadgets Cannot Be Placed While in EVA Mode, with no published workaround. Crews that normally rely on EVA-deployed gadgets should account for that limitation until it is fixed.

Flight, Defense, and Operating Risk

The MOLE is an industrial platform, not a ship chosen for agility or combat.

At 45 meters long, with a 140 m/s SCM speed and 960 m/s NAV speed, it is a substantially larger operating platform than the Prospector. Current Alpha 4.10 data also gives it one Size 3 shield with 100,000 HP.

Its defensive armament consists of two Size 2 CF-227 Badger laser repeaters. They provide some defensive capability, but they do not make the MOLE a combat ship or remove the risk of taking a valuable mining load into hostile space.

The more important operational risk is concentration. A MOLE can carry several players and the group's entire active ore load in one hull. If the ship is lost or forced out of an area, the mining operation stops for everyone at once.

That makes situational awareness and sensible escape decisions more important than trying to fight every threat. In higher-risk space, support from other ships can be more useful than expecting the MOLE's own guns to solve the problem.

The ship's interior reflects its multi-crew role. CIG's design includes four bunks, clothing and suit storage, sanitary facilities, and a shared habitation area for a crew working longer mining sessions.

MOLE Price, In-Game Purchase, and Rental Availability

Current Alpha 4.10 vehicle data lists the MOLE with an MSRP reference of $315. This should be treated as its ship-value reference rather than a guarantee that RSI always has the standalone pledge available for direct purchase, since store availability can rotate.

The MOLE can also be acquired in-game. Current Alpha 4.10 listings show:

• New Deal, Lorville: 8,483,740 aUEC

• Teach's Ship Shop, Levski: 9,376,760 aUEC

Rental listings currently range from approximately 223,256 to 234,420 aUEC per day, depending on location.

For many players, renting is a particularly useful way to evaluate the MOLE. The important ownership question is not whether its specifications beat a Prospector on paper. It is whether you regularly have enough people available to benefit from the separate pilot and mining roles.

There is one current rental caveat. CIG's Alpha 4.10 Known Issues page lists Rental Ships Are Not Showing in ASOP Terminals as an active general issue. It is not specific to the MOLE, but it can affect players trying to evaluate one through the rental system.

MOLE vs Prospector

The practical choice between the MOLE and Prospector is primarily about crew structure, not simply storage.

For a player who normally mines alone, the Prospector is the more convenient platform. Its workflow does not require repeatedly moving between a flight seat and separate mining stations, and its smaller size is better suited to an independent operator.

The MOLE becomes more compelling when two to four players want to stay together. It offers 96 SCU of ore capacity, Size 2 mining equipment, and multiple independently operated stations on one ship.

Three Prospectors still have meaningful advantages. They can split up, search separate areas, reposition independently, and give every player direct control of a ship. A MOLE instead consolidates travel, storage, and mining work while allowing dedicated operators to stay focused on extraction.

Neither arrangement is automatically more efficient in every situation. A group that values wide-area prospecting may prefer several independent miners. A crew that wants to tackle deposits together from one shared platform has a stronger reason to choose the MOLE.

Who Should Buy the MOLE?

The MOLE is best suited to players who regularly mine with a small group and want mining itself to be a multi-crew activity.

It makes sense when one player is comfortable handling navigation and ship positioning while one or more crewmates remain focused on fracture and extraction. Groups that want to experiment with complementary mining-head configurations also make better use of its three independent stations.

It is harder to justify as a default upgrade for a mostly solo Prospector owner. The extra ore capacity is useful, but it comes with a control layout that repeatedly separates flying from mining when no crew is available.

The same applies to players expecting a safer mining ship simply because it is larger. The MOLE has a stronger shield than a small miner, but its two Size 2 defensive guns do not make it a reliable combat solution in dangerous space.

The MOLE is worth owning when your crew structure matches the ship. Its strongest case is not “96 SCU is bigger than 32 SCU.” It is that several players can mine from one purpose-built platform while a dedicated pilot keeps the operation moving.

If that describes how you already play, the MOLE is a meaningful step up from solo mining. If most sessions are spent alone, the Prospector remains the cleaner everyday choice.

Players already committed to crewed mining can view the current MOLE listing on LTI Hangar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the MOLE have 96 SCU or 288 SCU?

The current Alpha 4.10 ship data lists 96 SCU of active ore capacity. CIG's mineral-pod design uses 24 pods at 12 SCU each, but its own MOLE material states that only eight are usable at one time. Eight × 12 SCU gives the current 96-SCU active load.

Can the MOLE pilot control the mining lasers?

No. The three mining lasers use dedicated mining stations. CIG states that each mining laser requires a player in its seat, a single player cannot operate all three simultaneously, and the pilot cannot control them from the cockpit through a computer blade.

Can you rent the MOLE in Alpha 4.10?

Yes. Current Alpha 4.10 listings show MOLE rentals at multiple locations for roughly 223,256–234,420 aUEC per day. CIG currently also lists a general Alpha 4.10 issue that can prevent rented ships from appearing at ASOP terminals.