After the mining ship I am supposed to be escorting (not even escorting, really- they tell me to keep a distance, but suggest helping with the HIVE ships) dies from Hive attack, they ask me to equip a ship with a mineral scanner, mining beam, and weapon, then go mine the 40cu of ore myself. How much and what type of ore will be disclosed later, after I'm back in the mining sector.

However, what they ask me to mine is never what is actually in the sector. In Edras I-3 they asked me to mine Aqueas and Ishik ore, though it's all rocky asteroids. In Edras C-3 they asked me to mine Carbonic and Van Azak, though it's all ice crystals. I am assuming these are backwards.

Leaving the sector without mining all 40 cu results in failing the mission.

There should be a few asteroids around there that do contain the ore, if not then retry the mission. That tunguska mission chain is pretty weird and difficult at some points, not really worth pursuing except for the story.

At the point in the mission you describe, there is a button in your mission log labeled "Contact". Press it, and you will have the option to either switch sectors or receive a different mining list.

think they should mention that "contact" part in the mission log then lol