I just started a new game (latest release), and visited my first system. The first thing I did was recover an iron rich asteroid from an asteroid field, for 900+ resources. Then I visited a planet in the next orbit, which had some surface resources, and intelligent life.
Eventually, one offered to trade, so I offered iron [3kg]... but it was actually my asteroid. My resources score dropped the 900+, not the few for an iron pickup. I think asteroids need to be distinguishable, that little sucker got a good deal for his clay statue...