The loop
Drill down, fill the hold with ore, fly back to the surface and sell it. Spend the money on a drill that bites harder rock, a tank that gets you deeper, and a hold that makes the trip worth it.
Things that will kill you
- Falling. Long drops into open caves hurt.
- Magma. Bright orange, and it does not care about your hull.
- Gas pockets. The green ones detonate when the tile next to them goes.
- Running dry. No fuel means no thrusters, and the surface is a long way up.
You cannot drill upwards — plan a way home before you spend the last of the tank.