Quick answer

To auto-sell handheld dust in Moon Sweepers, deposit it in a Packager and connect the capsule output to the station's exterior receiving intake with correctly directed conveyors. You still clean and deposit each load. Patch 1.0.3 says belt-delivered dust and stone are paid as they enter the intake. Test one short delivery before extending the route. S07S08S02

Concept illustration of packed dust canisters travelling along a short conveyor toward a lunar depot.
Collection is only the start of the routeAI concept illustration · not a game screenshot

Patch 1.0.3 states that dust and stone arriving by belt are paid as they come in. Do not confuse that with pressing Q to pack a load or with the manual shipment-launch sequence in the store description. S02S01

Equipment and budget

Item Reported in-game cost What it contributes
Building Tool $50 Access to construction
Packager $100 Handheld dust becomes transport capsules
Conveyor $0.50 per metre The route to the receiving intake

GAMES.GG and ShowGamer report these prices and a 30-metre maximum per belt section. They are reference values, not our own current-menu measurements. S07S08S09

A 20-metre route with a new tool and one Packager is $160 in game: $50 + $100 + (20 × $0.50). If you own the Building Tool already, the same example is $110. These are arithmetic examples; extra junctions, other machines and your actual terrain can add costs.

The optional tool below estimates how much game currency to save for the equipment. Use the prices shown in your game; the $ amounts are in-game purchases. A 60-metre total needs at least two sections under the reported 30-metre limit; turns and obstacles can require more.

Packager route examples

These examples include one Packager and the stated total belt length. The new-tool column also includes one Building Tool. They use the reported $0.50 per metre; they are calculated budgets, not tested layouts or current-menu measurements. S07S08S09

Total belt length With a new Building Tool Building Tool already owned Minimum belt sections
5 m $152.5 $102.5 1
20 m $160 $110 1
60 m $180 $130 2

The estimate excludes Mergers, Splitters, Catchers, robots, processing machines and extra belt length around obstacles. Owning the Packager already would also change your remaining purchase cost. Section counts are lower bounds from the reported 30 m limit, rather than a terrain survey. Edit the calculator's prices to match your menu.

Optional guide tool

Estimate the in-game build cost

Game currency only

How much game currency should you save for one Packager and a belt route? Include the Building Tool only if you still need it. The $ symbol below is the game's currency; this guide is free to read. Use the equipment prices shown in your game.

Route equipment and current menu prices

The interactive estimate requires JavaScript. Reference: 20 m with a new Tool and Packager costs $160; if you own the Tool, $110.

Defaults: reported values from S07–S09. Each item cost is rounded to two decimals before the total. Section count uses the reported 30 m limit. Inputs stay on this page.

Connection schematic Follow one small load
  1. 01Collect dustHandheld tool
  2. 02Deposit & packPackager output
  3. 03Follow the arrowsConnected belt sections
  4. 04Reach the intakeMaterial enters; check payment
Original schematic, not a game screenshot. A robot dock, Garage or Capsule Catcher replaces the handheld source; the outgoing route still needs to work.

Connect the receiving end correctly

The working route is:

Handheld dust → Packager capsule output → belt arrows toward the station → exterior intake.

The intake described in the guides is the exterior opening with rubber flaps. A belt that finishes beside the wall has not reached the receiving port. The numbered flow diagram explains the connections. The scene art is a concept illustration; use the actual in-game ports and prompts for placement. S07S08

  1. Buy and equip the Building Tool if you do not have it.
  2. Select the Packager in the build options and leave room at its capsule output.
  3. Start the conveyor at that output. Inspect the arrows before confirming its direction.
  4. Join any additional sections, then connect the last section to the actual receiving intake.
  5. Collect a small load and deposit it using the prompt at the Packager. ShowGamer reports E in the default PC controls.
  6. Follow the resulting capsule. Check the machine output, each belt joint, and the intake.
  7. Confirm that the material enters the intake and the sale is registered. Extend the route after that first success.

Start checking where the capsule stops

First failure Check next
Nothing is packed Dust has actually been deposited; inspect the machine message and output
A capsule leaves but does not travel First belt connection and direction
Movement stops farther along The first disconnected, reversed or blocked transition
Capsules stop against the station wall Last section is connected to the receiving port
Capsules enter but the expected payment does not appear Inspect the intake display and installed version; 1.0.3 corrected payout behavior
“Could not pack a capsule” appears Check 1.0.4 and 1.0.5 fixes before treating it as a belt-placement problem

The reported packing bug was addressed in 1.0.4; 1.0.5 separately fixed packing failures in large bases with many capsules on belts. If it occurs in a current build, record that build and the machine status rather than assuming an old workaround will help. S03S04

Does auto-selling also collect dust?

For the handheld Packager route, you still collect dust and deposit it at the Packager. The connected conveyors automate capsule transport to the receiving intake; patch 1.0.3 documents payment on arrival. Pressing Q packs a handheld load and is not itself a sale. S07S08S02

A useful first test is one small load with no intermediate processing. Observe capsule creation, the first belt, each joint, intake entry and the registered sale. This separates a packing problem from a route problem. It is a suggested check, not a route we have tested in the game.

Use the right source for your cleaning method

A Robot Vacuum's dock supplies capsules from its collected dust. A Garage handles a vehicle's collected load. J.O.O.N.A.S. sends launches to a Capsule Catcher. These routes do not require you to treat every source as a handheld Packager.

With several sources, a Merger can combine their routes. Add one source at a time and inspect the common outlet before adding another. If production stops inside a powered processing machine, inspect its inputs, power and output separately from the belts. S07S09

Source references

Sources checked . Source types describe the evidence; they do not imply gameplay testing by this site.

  1. S01 · OfficialSteam product listing ↗
  2. S02 · OfficialPatch 1.0.3 — 24 October 2026 ↗
  3. S03 · OfficialPatch 1.0.4 — 25 October 2026 ↗
  4. S04 · OfficialPatch 1.0.5 — 28 October 2026 ↗
  5. S07 · Reported guideGAMES.GG — Auto-Sell Dust ↗
  6. S08 · Reported guideShowGamer — Packager Guide ↗
  7. S09 · Reported guideShowGamer — Conveyor Guide ↗