Open the Map and Choose Nearby Unfinished Ground
Open the Moon Map from a station's main console, choose nearby blue ground to finish, and place a waypoint on your next destination. Use station locations to plan your return, then check the local cleaning display before leaving a hex behind.
Start with unfinished ground beside the area you have already cleared. This keeps your next target close and gives you a practical route back to the Depot while your carrying capacity is limited. Once the nearby gaps are finished, expand into fresh terrain that suits your current cleaning equipment.
Read the Moon Map's Cleaning Colors
Use the map colors to decide whether to start work, return for cleanup or move on. They are especially useful when the surface looks mostly gray and the remaining Dust is difficult to spot. A nearly clean appearance can still hide enough Dust to leave the area unfinished.
| Map color | Meaning and cleaning action |
|---|---|
| Orange | Untouched ground. Choose a new area and begin cleaning; broad orange patches suit a fresh route when your equipment can cover them efficiently. |
| Blue | Partly cleaned ground. Return and remove the remaining Dust, especially beside a green cluster near your station. |
| Green | Completed ground. Choose another unfinished area, using the edge of the cleared cluster to organize your next trip. |
Mark a Route and Finish Nearby Hexes
- Open the Moon Map at a station's main console to see the cleaning states around your current working area.
- Choose nearby blue ground beside a green cluster so your next cleanup builds on work you have already started.
- Place a waypoint on the chosen destination to keep a clear target as you travel away from the station.
Press G for a region scan when the remaining patches are hard to spot, giving you a local check before your next cleaning pass.Playing this video connects to YouTube.
- Clean the remaining strips and edges until the local display reaches 100% and the SECTION COMPLETE message confirms the target is finished.
- Deposit your collected Dust at the Depot to keep the delivery part of your cleaning route moving.
- Reopen the Moon Map after completing nearby hexes to inspect the cleared area's shape and choose the next unfinished patch.
Use Station Markers to Plan the Return Trip
The map shows station locations alongside separate flag and surveyed-site counters. Use those exploration counters to track what you have found, while checking where your cleaning route can actually deliver Dust. A station marker and a collector or selling point you build are different things, so establish your unloading destination before committing to distant work.
In version 1.0.3, the compass distinguishes stations, crewmates and waypoints with separate icons, alongside the sector readout. Use your waypoint for the outward trip and the station information to keep the return route in mind. For help interpreting the area you are standing in, open the Field Manual with H and check its current-sector information.
When choosing between fresh areas, consider both the dirty ground and the trip back with a full load. Staying close is useful while storage is small, and working farther away makes carrying capacity more important. A destination that looks attractive on the map still needs a convenient delivery route.
Separate Local Completion from Whole-Moon Progress
A completed local section can barely move the overall Moon percentage. Use the local display to finish your immediate cleaning target, then use the map's overall percentage to judge the larger job. Region objectives, section totals and Moon-wide milestones should each be checked against the progress they ask for.
| Progress target | Details |
|---|---|
| Cleaning regions | Region objectives track completed cleaning regions. Follow the relevant cleaning counter rather than judging progress only by the amount of Dust collected. |
| Completed sections | Section achievements include 100, 1,000 and 10,000 completed sections. Use the local completion display and completion message when finishing individual areas. |
| Whole-Moon completion | Global milestones use 1%, 10%, 50% and 100% Moon completion. Track the Moon Map's overall percentage for these goals. |
Find the Work You Still Need to Finish
- The map is blue but the ground looks clean: inspect narrow strips and the edges of the hex. Even a wide handheld brush can leave precise edge cleanup that needs extra attention.
- The overall percentage barely changes: check whether your local sections are completing. A growing cluster of finished hexes can still be a tiny part of the lunar surface, so use nearby blue patches to choose useful cleanup work.
- The landscape is hard to recognize: choose a marked destination before setting off again. In poor visibility, short passes near the station or between completed hexes are easier to manage than an unfamiliar route without a clear target.
- JONAS has been reported to become inactive when the player moves too far away. Check its cleaning progress before relying on it to finish scattered strips during a distant trip.
- A fixed Robot Vacuum has stopped finding work: inspect the dirty ground within its assigned coverage. Once that ground is finished, choose a fresh location instead of waiting for the same dock to clean beyond its range.
- You are choosing a remote robot location: check the surrounding dirty hexes and the route from the dock's output to your existing Conveyor. A slightly closer patch may give you a simpler delivery setup while still providing fresh ground to clean.