Mine a small haul and refine it aboard the starter ship. After you establish a station, connect its production machines with conveyors so raw material can reach the processor and the refined output can go where it is needed.
Confirm the ship can process your first ore
Scan for a deposit and collect enough material for a test. Check the refinery's expected input before you mine a larger amount, then look for processed output once the ore has gone through.
Move repeat production to the station
When a material becomes a regular input, give it a dedicated path from supply through refining to storage or the next machine. Make the first station line small enough to watch a batch from start to finish.
Distinguish ore from a downstream shortage
If the next machine has no material, check what the refinery is receiving and producing before mining more. You may have enough ore already and need to fix the connection between the refinery and its destination.
See Main Sequence on Steam for the official game information.
FAQ
Where do I refine the first haul?
The starter mining ship can process resources aboard it.
When does a station help?
A station gives repeated refining and downstream machines a permanent layout with connected belts.
Should I assume every ore uses the same process?
Check what the machine and recipe in your build accept. Later production lines can call for different inputs.