Satisfactory Alien Tech: SAM, Somersloop, Mercer Sphere & Depot

A strange planet like the one in Satisfactory comes with plenty of odd organisms and items. You’ve probably come across some of them while playing, without quite knowing what to do with them. This is where the MAM (Molecular Analysis Machine) helps: you can research your unusual finds there to unlock new recipes and features. That applies especially to the alien matter you can discover on the planet. From SAM Ore to Somersloops and Mercer Spheres, the planet offers several items that are perfect to research in the MAM.

Where to find them in Satisfactory: SAM Ore, Somersloops, and Mercer Spheres

To kick off the research, you actually need three resources. After all, there are many aspects of the planet that are unfamiliar and might lead to useful technological advances. To get them, you’ll have to explore the map and head out into the wilds, away from your factories. We already have a complete guide to exploration so you can head out well prepared (Exploring Satisfactory: Gear, Combat, and Resources) .

• SAM: SAM, short for “Strange Alien Matter,” is a type of ore. It’s purple and relatively rare. Deposits are scattered across the entire map, with no single “best” spot to mine. Like other ores, you can mine it by hand or with a Miner.

• Mercer Sphere: Mercer Spheres are scattered all over the map and are an important research resource. There are currently 298 (Version 1.1), and you can pick them up when you find them.

• Somersloop: Similar to Mercer Spheres, Somersloops are found through exploration, but they’re rarer—there are only 106 (Version 1.1). They’re often guarded by enemies or found in hard-to-reach places.

MAM research in Satisfactory: Alien technology and branches

You can actually start quite early with alien tech research once you’ve found some of the resources mentioned. This research unlocks a few very important features, including the Dimensional Depot, which lets you store items in a kind of cloud. Some parts of the research are tied to milestones and need resources like computers or specific machines, which you’ll only unlock later.

SAM Ore, Reanimated SAM, and SAM Fluctuator: The basics

We recommend you start by mining SAM Ore and unlocking the first three steps in that research path. These recipes form the foundation for the other two branches and can be activated early in the game.

• First collect 30x SAM to unlock the first two nodes. This grants a scanner upgrade and the recipe for Reanimated SAM.
• Reanimated SAM is a key resource that lets you convert ores into other ores.
• Use Reanimated SAM, steel pipes, and cable to craft SAM Fluctuators. These are the basis for all upcoming recipes in this branch.

Alien Energy Amplifier and Somersloop: Boost power efficiently

The right side of the MAM research focuses on using Somersloops, the strange alien stones that look like a pink S. Once you’ve found and researched one, you can tune your scanner to locate more. This branch isn’t very long but unlocks another way to produce power.

• Find a Somersloop to start the research and upgrade your scanner.
• Use 10x SAM Fluctuators to progress. That’s why you should handle the fundamentals first, or you won’t get far here.

From the next step on, things get exciting, because you can unlock a new power source. If you need a lot of electricity, this branch is perfect. However, every step requires Somersloops, which you can only find in limited quantities.

• Use 1x Somersloop, 100x SAM Fluctuators, and 50x Computers to unlock the Alien Energy Amplifier. This machine not only generates additional power using Somersloops, it also increases your grid’s overall power output. Each amplifier on the network yields 10% more power. The catch is that you only have a limited number of Somersloops.
• Continue down this path to unlock crafting of the Alien Energy Matrix. To do that you must produce Energy Fragments, which you unlock via Power Slugs. The matrix is a late-game item that you really use starting with Tier 9. 5x Matrix boost the amplifier’s increase from 10% to 30%.
• On the other side you can unlock a new form of overclocking, the Production Amplifier. It’s also called “Overslooping” and also consumes Somersloops to improve machine output without using more resources.

Dimensional Depot: Cloud storage for items in Satisfactory

On the left side of the alien tech tree you’ll work with Mercer Spheres to unlock the Dimensional Depot. This is a cloud storage system that gives you anytime, anywhere access to your stored items. Unlock the base recipe with 1x Mercer Sphere and 11x SAM Fluctuators to continue researching the depot.

As you progress, you can unlock further upgrades:

• With an additional 3x Spheres, 29x Fluctuators, and 17x Computers, you can use the Dimensional Depot directly from your inventory and deposit items there.
• One branch lets you increase the depot’s capacity step by step by investing more spheres and fluctuators. There are 4 tiers, each adding one stack per item to the storage.
• The other branch works the same way, but speeds up your upload rate. You can upgrade your initial 15 items/min in four steps up to 240 items/min.

Keep in mind, just like with Somersloops, that Mercer Spheres are limited. The MAM needs 97 spheres. You can put the rest into expanding your storage system.

Conclusion: Research alien tech and produce efficiently

Researching alien technology on the planet is a great addition and unlocks some very important features. Once you’ve established the basics with SAM Fluctuators, you can move on to improving your power production and your storage system in the other two branches. Both are extremely practical and become indispensable later in the game.

To generate more power and store your items in the Dimensional Depot, rent your own Satisfactory server from us. Then you can explore the alien planet and collect strange artifacts that power your production lines!