Players exploring the Specimen ID: NES001 quest in the new season of Destiny 2 will come across the Planetary Assimilation Piston.
The quest will ask you to collect Radiolaria samples. But where exactly do you find these pistons to smash and harvest the precious resources?
This guide will crack the code and point you in the right direction. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Planetary Assimilation Piston location in Destiny 2
Unlike some collectible items, Planetary Assimilation Pistons won’t be scattered across Nessus in patrol zones. Instead, they are specifically found within the Breach Executable activity. This means you’ll need to select the activity node on Nessus. The Planetary Assimilation Piston is a tall illuminated device with a round metal base.
Once you’re in the Breach Executable activity, you need to look for the piston, which will look like a bright conflux tower. Pistons only become active after you’ve completed the first objective.
This typically involves clearing enemies or capturing a zone. We recommend looking for the pre-existing Radiolite samples because they are usually near a piston.
These pistons can spawn in various locations throughout the activity, so a little exploration might be necessary. However, they are quite large and hard to miss.
How to use the Piston Hammer — Planetary Assimilation Piston in Destiny 2
The Piston Hammer Failsafe gifted you is extremely important for the quest. Approach the Planetary Assimilation Piston, and you’ll see a prompt to smash it with the hammer. You need to use the hammer to smash the piston.
Once you’ve successfully smashed the piston, it will reveal more Radiolaria samples in the surrounding area. These glowing red orbs are what you need to collect to progress through the Specimen ID: NES001 quest.
Radiolaria samples are shared loot. That means any sample collected by you or your teammates will contribute to everyone’s quest progress. So no need to scramble and fight over the precious red orbs. You need to continue searching and smashing pistons to collect more Radiolaria samples.
That concludes our guide to finding and using the Planetary Assimilation Piston in Destiny 2.
READ MORE: Where to find Well of Echoes in Destiny 2 and how to start Enigma Protocol mission
