
No Man's Sky: How to Get a Cadmium Drive
You'll need a Cadmium Drive to get to red star systems in No Man's Sky. Here's how to get one.
No Man's Sky features a number of different kinds of star systems to visit. They are color coded, with the closest in distance being red star systems. To get to red systems you'll need to get your hands on a Cadmium Drive. We'll show you how in this guide.
How to Get a Cadmium Drive
To get a Cadmium Drive in No Man's Sky head to The Anomaly. You're looking for a ship upgrade vendor found at to the back of the area, behind the room with Nada and Polo in it. Speak to this vendor and purchase the Cadmium Drive for Nanites. You can now install the Cadmium Drive onto your ship.
How to Craft the Cadmium Drive
To craft the Cadmium Drive you'll need the following:
- Chromatic Metal (250)
- Wiring Loom (3)
To find Chromatic Metal, you can follow the steps in this guide. Head to Galactic terminals aboard space stations to purchase Wiring Looms. Craft the Cadmium Drive in an empty slot in your ship. You can now head to red systems.

Using the Cadmium Drive to Get Cadmium
To get Cadmium in No Man's Sky head to your Galactic Map. Now you'll need to warp to a red system using your Cadmium Drive. Scan planets and then mine Cadmium, easy!
That's how to get a Cadmium Drive in No Man's Sky. For more info on the game, check out our guide on getting a living ship. There's also our look on acquiring an Emeril Drive.
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