How to Get Steel and Other Key Ad Astra Materials

Steel is your foundation

Almost every Ad Astra machine, rocket part, and suit piece needs steel. You produce steel by smelting iron in a furnace using the mod's steel-making process — typically iron plus a carbon source such as coal or charcoal. Once you have steel ingots, you can craft plates, rods, and the Engine Frame that anchors your first rocket. Stockpile steel early; you will burn through it fast.

Desh, Calorite, and Etrium

Later tiers use planet-specific metals. Desh is found on the Moon and is used for Tier 2 rockets and engines. Calorite comes from Mars and powers higher-tier engines and tanks. Etrium is a rarer, more advanced material used in endgame machinery and rods. Each metal must be mined on its home planet, brought back, and smelted into ingots, nuggets, plates, and rods. You cannot skip tiers — a Tier 1 rocket cannot reach Mars, so you must progress Moon-first.

Process materials efficiently

Set up a dedicated workshop with furnaces, a crafting grid, and storage for ingots, plates, and nuggets. Use the mod's factory blocks (such as Calorite Factory Block) to automate smelting and crafting. Keep a chest of common components — plates, rods, and frames — so you can assemble rockets and machines without scrambling for materials mid-project.