Interestingly I thought I wouldn't get caught up in outpost building or ship modification and then I stumbled across this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKTjyx-1ES4 and I've now built my first outpost. It's is a ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS to find the spot this guy is talking about in this video, but if you can find it and you follow his directions, you can pretty much end up with an endless supply of Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, and Iron.