Field reports

Jovian Volatiles Census is now open to members

We are opening access to Jovian Volatiles Census, a survey dataset covering Ice shells of Callisto, Ganymede and Europa. Terms: ODbL-1.0.

Reading a rock in eight seconds: a field guide to the Spectra Assay Lance

The Chief Assayer explains how to get laboratory-quality grades out of a handheld LIBS spectrometer, and the five mistakes that ruin most field readings.

Sixty-four eyes: first field trial of the Swarm Prospecting Beacons

The Toolworks Director reports on the first real-world trial of the Swarm Prospecting Beacons: a pack of 64 small sensors that cover 300 kilometres without anyone walking the ground.

Equipment spotlight: Lodeseeker Prospector Rover

The Lodeseeker Prospector Rover is a Prospecting rover designed and built by the Ferrovane Prospecting Guild. It has been helping crews find iridium, platinum-group metals and rare earths since September 2176.

Forty metres down at Cinder Tor: the first iridium cores

The Corehound crew on Vesta pulled the first continuous core through the Cinder Tor lode. Iridium ran at 14.2 g/t across a 270-metre interval, and the drill never missed a shift.

Dark terrain, bright numbers: Galileo Regio before auction

Galileo Regio goes to auction as lot 12. The seismic lead who surveyed it explains what bidders are actually buying, grade by grade.

Magnetometry without the mystery: flying a Pickaxe grid

A practical guide to planning an aerial magnetic survey of an asteroid with the Pickaxe Survey Drone, from line spacing to reading the anomaly map.

Ceres Claims Auction, third quarter: what sold and why

Twenty-two lots, nineteen sales and a record bid for a platinum rubble pile. The auction director explains the quarter's results and what they say about metal prices.

Pinning a rubble pile: how we anchored Hollow Sister

Hollow Sister is a spinning sack of gravel with platinum in it. Here is how a rigging crew, a Basilisk Salvage Tug and twelve Tether Anchor Kits slowed it down enough to sample.

Field release: Conamara Brine Lenses

Survey crews have finished their work on Conamara Brine Lenses, a deposit at Conamara Chaos, Europa, brine pockets at 400-850 m. The record is published under these terms: Research claim (Europa Subsurface Assay…

New on the claims register: Vesta Gravity Model v3

The Guild has published the record for Vesta Gravity Model v3, a survey dataset located at Vesta full globe, crust to 12 km. Its current status is: CC-BY-4.0.

Coring into the Conamara brine

Eight hundred metres into Europa's ice, the Cryo Ice-Core Sampler hit salty brine rich in lithium and rubidium. A cryo-sampling specialist describes the season.

A year of Ironmonger yields at the Ferric Twins

Twelve months after the first Ironmonger Field Refinery arrived at the Ferric Twins, the superintendent shares recoveries, outages and what she would change.

What we know about ClaimGrid Boundary Mapper

ClaimGrid Boundary Mapper is a open tool at Guild claims registry, all registered claims. Its status today: MPL-2.0.

Coming up: Hands-on LIBS Assay Workshop

Hands-on LIBS Assay Workshop takes place on 3 November 2026 at Assay Laboratory, Rheasilvia Toolworks, Vesta. This meetup is hosted by Ferrovane Prospecting Guild.

Chasing helium-3 from Valhalla to the Jovian cloud tops

Helium-3 hides in two places near Jupiter: frozen in Callisto cold traps and drifting in the giant planet's atmosphere. One prospector compares both hunting grounds.

Now in the kit list: the Thumper Seismic Mapper

The Rheasilvia Toolworks has released the Thumper Seismic Mapper to Guild crews. It is a Active seismic mapper that has been in service since November 2177, and field teams have been putting it through its paces ever…

Kerwan Rhodium Vein is now open to members

We are opening access to Kerwan Rhodium Vein, a deposit covering Kerwan basin floor, Ceres, 600-1,400 m. Terms: Registered claim FV-0219 (Ceres Free Claimholders' Mutual).

Moving a refinery with a Leviathan Ore Hauler

A charter captain explains how the Guild moves a 48-metre field refinery and a drill rig between Vesta and the outer Belt, and why the Leviathan is the only hull for the job.

What the Vesta Gravity Model v3 can and cannot tell you

Version three of our open Vesta gravity model is out. A data scientist explains what the 250-metre grid reveals, where it is uncertain, and how it led to Cinder Tor.

Coming up: Platinum-Group Assay Standards Conference

Platinum-Group Assay Standards Conference takes place on 23 December 2026 at Shackleton Platinum Exchange Trading Hall, Luna. This conference is where Ferrovane speakers take the stage.

Now in the kit list: the Sieve Ore-Sorting Rig

The Rheasilvia Toolworks has released the Sieve Ore-Sorting Rig to Guild crews. It is a Sensor-based ore sorter that has been in service since August 2180, and field teams have been putting it through its paces ever…

Field-ready: Swarm Prospecting Beacons

A new Distributed sensor swarm has joined the Guild equipment roster. The Swarm Prospecting Beacons has worked claims since October 2186, and it has earned its place on survey manifests from Vesta to Callisto.

Six weeks in a Valkyrie over the Kerwan basin

A Valkyrie Survey Corvette pilot describes flying low orbital gravimetry passes over Ceres with a Gravwell array in tow, and launching drones when the gravity found something interesting.