Welcome to CND, Anna! We're glad you made it up to play in the stars! I'm sorry to hear your luck has not been the best with your mining. :/
As magical as CND can be at times, the loot situation is just as seemingly random in space as it is on planet. The good news is that there is the disco, mall, apartments, coridors, domes, and more to explore when you need to take a break from the bomb dropping for a bit.
And as Al mentioned, there is almost always a party ... and if there isn't one, go to the Control Room and start dancing, and you'll likely have yourself a party in no time at all.
As far as other sources of revenue, Fruit is plentiful in the domes, and there are some lower level mobs available to sweat, as well. There might also be other opportunities, such as helping someone skill (Al and I are both busy skilling hairstyling and are often looking for victims--I mean volunteers), or finding customers for services (colorists, hairstylists, maybe even pilots or event organizers?). Think outside the box and find your niche. The control room is the best place to find people if you have any questions or want to make new contacts.
Embrace your lovely orange self and enjoy the views of space.
I'll look forward to meeting you soon!
