How do I get out of the planet core?

Question

In Astroneer, I drilled down to the core on Desolo. Basically, I drilled sloped passageways and set down tethers as I went, eventually breaking through into the big open area around the inner core. Then I jumped.

I don't have the necessary materials to activate the core (zinc, if I'm reading this iconography right). But I've got some at my base, so I want to head back and get it. Except ... I can't figure out where I jumped from.

There are some pink spires leading down towards the core; if I jump on them, I can climb back up to the normal-gravity/dirt part ... but then I start draining oxygen and I don't seem to be near my actual tunnels. It's also extremely disorienting down here with the changing gravity, so I'm accidentally retracing my (incorrect) footsteps a lot.

How do I get out of here?

Answer 1

I got myself out of this by committing suicide, which respawned me at my field shelter. Before I did that, however, I stashed all my valuables off my backpack in the center of the core, since I knew I'd be back.

Basically:

1. Go to the core, where the activation slots are.
2. Remove all items from backpack that you consider valuable and place them on the ground here; they will still be here when you return after respawning
3. Climb one of the pink/purple spikes out to the rock/dirt layer.
4. Suffocate.

After respawning, I picked up the necessary minerals for activating this core, headed back down, and after picking up all my dropped loot I was able to teleport out of the now-activated gateway.

I've no idea if it's possible to escape otherwise in the given scenario without committing suicide -- the core is massive and the sphere around it is huge. Given that I jumped in through a hole that was not at one of the spikes, it could be anywhere on a very large area that would take a very long time to search. The suicide route seems the most efficient way out of the scenario.