Where to get Scrap Metal, a Cooling Unit, and Aetheum Crystal Shards in Everspace 2
Starting at the bottom.
Aidan O'Brien 
Your first real mission in Everspace 2 is “From Scatch”. For this mission, you will need to find Scrap Metal, a Cooling Unit, and Aetheum Crystal Shards to restore the power reactor in your new hideout. You can’t do much of anything without a functioning base, but thankfully this is a pretty quick mission.
Everything you need can be found in a nearby asteroid field, effectively right outside the base. Leave the Hangar in your ship, then make your way towards one of the large asteroids. Around here, you should be able to find everything you need.
Scrap Metal
Scrap Metal can be found floating in space and will be marked on your HUD by a small box icon. It is often found near shipwrecks or just hunks of twisted metal that are floating through the area. Flying to it and hitting the F button will draw it into your ship.
Cooling Unit
For a Cooling Unit, you will need to engage in combat with some enemy craft. A Cooling Unit has a chance to drop from enemy wreckage after you destroy a ship, so take out any ships or drones in the area to farm this item. This will be marked by small red circles on the screen.
Aetheum Crystal
You can find Aetheum Crystal growing in clusters on the side of asteroids. It is a purple color, and you will need to fly close to it and destroy it to harvest it. You should get all the shards you need from two clusters, but make sure you farm any more that you see as you will certainly need them later.
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