Exploration
exploration / reconnaissance
Scan-and-discover loop across Stanton, Pyro, and Nyx — ping and scan for wrecks and resources, jump between systems, and work a dedicated explorer ship's sensor suite.
Best for
- dedicated scout or explorer pilots
- org reconnaissance ahead of a mining or salvage op
- wreck and derelict looting
- long-range multi-system travel
Minimum equipment
- Explorer-class or scan-capable ship (315p, Constellation Aquila, 600i Explorer, or Carrack)
- Functioning quantum drive, plus a jump drive to cross jump points
- Cargo or tractor-beam capability to recover wreck loot
- Fuel reserves for multi-system travel
Steps
- Enter Scan Mode and Ping to sweep the area — pinging marks objects and keeps them on radar, but also exposes your own ship's presence, so weigh detection range against staying stealthy.
- Zoom and charge the scan for a stronger, wider pulse at the cost of a bigger, more detectable signature; a lower-charge scan is quieter but shorter-ranged.
- Approach any wreckage, resource signature, or point of interest cautiously — sites can be contested by other players or NPCs.
- At a derelict wreck, find the access panel and take the pilot or engineer seat, then use the unlock-ports interaction to open cargo doors for extraction; larger wrecks need interior traversal to reach further containers.
- Recover loose loot, raw and refined materials, salvageable ship components, and any mission data pads found at the site.
- To travel between systems, align with your destination marker in NAV mode so the quantum drive auto-calibrates — misalignment increases calibration time even with full fuel and power.
- At a jump point, complete calibration then actively steer to stay inside the stable tunnel during transit; straying from the path risks damage.
- Use jump points to move between the three currently traversable systems — Stanton, Pyro, and Nyx — refueling at a gateway station such as Pyro Gateway as needed.
- In Nyx, treat the Glaciem Ring asteroid belt as high-risk rather than a conventional mining stop, and check in at Levski for local contracts and intel.
- Log discoveries yourself or with your org — there is no confirmed in-game data-sale or discovery-credit economy yet, so treat detailed charting as a manual record, not a mechanical reward.
Avoid
- Do not rely on a specific scan/ping keybind from an old guide — bindings have moved across patches; check Options -> Key Bindings in-game.
- Do not launch a deep-space expedition without spare hydrogen and quantum fuel and a refuel plan — long runs strand the unprepared far from any station.
- Do not assume a system beyond Stanton, Pyro, and Nyx is reachable yet.
Explorer ships
- Origin 315pNotes: Small single-pilot pocket explorer with a size-1 tractor beam.
- RSI Constellation AquilaNotes: Multi-crew expedition variant with an advanced sensor package; carries a P-52 Merlin snub fighter and an Ursa Rover.
- Origin 600i ExplorerNotes: Large expedition variant with two dedicated scanning workstations and an Ursa Rover in an integrated-lift hangar.
- Anvil CarrackNotes: Dedicated large expedition ship with an extensive scanning/mapping sensor suite, a Pisces-class scout, an Ursa Rover, and explorer drone pods — built for long, self-sufficient deep-space runs.
Systems
- StantonNotes: Core starting system.
- PyroNotes: Added Alpha 4.0 alongside Server Meshing; asteroid facilities and contested zones.
- NyxNotes: Added Alpha 4.4; reached from Pyro via a Medium-class jump point through Pyro Gateway; home to Levski and the dangerous Glaciem Ring asteroid belt.
Sources
- mmopixel - Star Citizen 4.6 wreck sites loot guide (medium)
- RSI Comm-Link - Star Citizen Alpha 4.9 Patch Notes (low)
- Star Citizen Wiki - 315p (medium)
- Star Citizen Wiki - 600i Explorer (medium)
- Star Citizen Wiki - Carrack (medium)
- Star Citizen Wiki - Constellation Aquila (medium)
- Star Citizen Wiki - Jump Point (high)
- Star Citizen Wiki - Nyx system (medium)
- Star Citizen Wiki - Quantum drive (high)
- Star Citizen Wiki - Scanning (medium)