[Alneyan]

Don't ships use supplies when remote-mining at a hefty rate? My ships tend to run out of supplies in three or four turns, which make them sitting ducks if any invading ship warps in. So it would make ships as much vulnerable as bases.

I will usually use ships if I cannot wait for several turns before a base is built over the asteroid spot, and bases when I do need an effective remote mining hull. And you might be lucky enough to find this Battle Station technology in a ruin, with its 14 remote miners if memory serves right. (That is 8400 minerals a turn, plus the impressive mineral values for asteroids. Not too bad) I have yet to use a satelite to this purpose, as you have to do some expensive research and satelites cannot extract much on a given spot.