Dilithium is found in asteroids and moons, and can be mined by placing Mining Stations on those moons which are found to contain it, or Prospecting Platforms and Freighters in similar asteroid belts. It is extremely valuable, and each crystal must be kept track of. They are usually kept in storage on planets with Shipyards, and take up one full cargo box each (regardless of size) due to protective packaging.
Each prospecting freighter in an asteroid belt will produce Dilithium crystals each turn, to a maximum of three freighters. It will be stored in the freighter's hold until retrieved. Each small prospecting platform will add one to the output of one freighter (not cumulative).
The current production values are:
| Small Prospecting Freighter | (F-PS) | 1 Crystal |
| Large Prospecting Freighter | (F-PL) | 2 Crystals |
| Large Ore Processing Ship | (F-OL) | 4 Crystals |
Ships may be built without Dilithium, but their warp engines will be non-functional until supplied with Dilithium.