Need Spidertron Remnants to land on Rubia. Spidertron Remnants are presumably only on Rubia. Am I taking crazy pills? Is there another mod messing with this mod? I'm not using any mods that change discovery techs, as far as I know.

You need to land on Rubia to start Rubia’s tech tree, which effectively begins by mining spidertron remnants.

Need Spidertron Remnants to land on Rubia.

False. Operation Iron Man solely waives the requirements for landing on Rubia after you have already beaten it.

I'm obviously missing something but I'll just try to articulate what's confusing me. Landing on Rubia is instant death so I need to research someting. From the tech tree I see Operation Iron Man. Following the tech tree up, past a few question marks, I see Amateur Recycling, right below Planet Discovery Rubia. Amateur Recycling requires Spidertron Remnants, which I assume are on Rubia. No other techs are available beneath Planet Discovery Rubia for me, except Amateur Recycling.

so I need to research someting.

You do not. “Planet Discovery Rubia” requires as prerequisite all technologies strictly needed to land.

Please read the “Rubia Planet Briefing” under “Tips and Tricks” more closely. It outlines everything in greater detail and is very precisely written.

Oh my gawd, I needed shields? It was the pod that was breaking up on landing, I had no reason to believe it was anything other than the pod that caused me to die. Oh well...