Exploration Tips

It is a common problem, even for hardened astroneers, to get lost exploring, or drive a vehicle somewhere and never be able to find it again after respawning. This here guide aims to provide you with some survival skills to hopefully make your next adventure a lot safer.

Compass
Hovering over your character will display one. Every time you drive away from your base, make a note of your headings and try to stick to that cardinal point. Use it often!

Beacons
They cost resources and if you spam them they'll just end up confusing you; but they are very useful to mark a few interesting locations for later exploration. You can also employ them as breadcrumbs on your long trips and recover them as you return.

Artificial Landmarks
Very helpful in the lower caves, which can be truly labyrinthic. It's particularly easy to get lost there if you're covering a lot of ground with a vehicle looking everywhere for those sweet discoveries. Use your Terrain Tool to create landmarks from the walls or ceiling as you go. Same applies to the overground, creating pillars at regular intervals will make it almost impossible to lose your way and they make a cheap alternative to beacons. You can also go a step further and place a more visible beacon on top, or even extrude a branch pointing towards home.

Geology
Mountains are your best friend when you've explored most of your immediate surroundings and want to venture further. Not only do they offer you great vantage points to survey the area if you climb to the top, they're also great landmarks you can use as waypoints as you travel away from your base. The top of a mountain is also a perfect spot to drop a beacon as it will be visible from very far away. Also a great opportunity for screenshots!

Astronavigation
There is a narrow band of stars in the night sky, similar to our milky way. It is the galactic equator and it coincides with the planetary one. Which, luck would have it, is the location of every new starting base. So if all else fails heading in the direction where this band is exactly perpendicular to the horizon will ensure you'll eventually find home.

Tethers
Make a habit of always placing them at your right (or left) side. That way, if you happen to become disoriented, you can always find your direction home by keeping the tether line at your left as you walk back.