Crashed Ships are notable locations on planets that players can discover while exploring the vast universe of No Man's Sky. They provide a convenient means for obtaining a new spacecraft to navigate the galaxy, provided that the necessary materials are available to repair any damages.
This guide will provide information on locating crashed ships in No Man's Sky, explaining the reasons why it's worthwhile to search for them, and detailing the actions you can take upon discovering one. Are you ready to delve into the world of intergalactic spacecraft? Let's get started.
Updated on October 15, 2023, by Sean Murray: While crashed ships are relatively easy to locate in No Man's Sky, there is still much to learn about these wrecks. That is why we have updated this guide with enhanced formatting and additional tips to help you find, repair, and occasionally salvage these ships with greater ease than ever before.
What Are Crashed Ships In No Man's Sky?
No Man's Sky features a vast array of planets, each hosting numerous Points of Interest (POIs). These POIs encompass ruins, abandoned stations, and, in this particular instance, Crashed Ships. To locate these Crashed Ships, players can either traverse the planet's surface by flying over it or opt to utilize one of the game's impressive Exocraft vehicles.
How To Find Crashed Ships With Exocraft
Two recommended Exocraft for locating Crashed Ships in No Man's Sky are the Nautilon and the Minotaur. The Nautilon is particularly useful for scanning and locating ships underwater, which can be challenging to find without being submerged. On the other hand, the Minotaur is capable of scanning distress signals, eliminating the need for Planetary Charts to track these signals.
Among the two options, the Nautilon proves incredibly valuable when searching for numerous Crashed Ships, whether it's to gather Nanites or obtain additional ship materials. For optimal results, it is recommended to explore planets abundant in water within relatively prosperous star systems. The higher the wealth of the system, the greater the chances of discovering more valuable and rewarding crashed ships.
Take your Nautilon and descend to the planet's surface. Submerge into the water, initiate a scan, and locate a ship. If you are unable to find a crashed ship at the current location, return to your main ship and navigate to another area of the ocean on the planet.
More Info On How To Find Crashed Ships
These ships appear randomly on planets and can provide various rewards for observant space explorers. Once you spot one, approach it and thoroughly examine the damaged ship.
You have the option to repair the ship and claim it for yourself. Additionally, you can activate the distress beacon, which may offer some or all of the following rewards:
- You might get some Nanite Clusters as a reward.
- Your standing will be boosted with the race most prominent in that system.
- Very rarely you might get a blueprint.
- A basic stack of units.
Close to the ship, you will often come across a stack of Damaged Machinery. This can be found near every Crashed Ship, so be sure to keep an eye out for it. Harvesting the Damaged Machinery will reward you with 30 Nanite Clusters.
How To Locate Crashed Ships In No Man's Sky
There are several methods for finding Crashed Ships in No Man's Sky. Here is an overview of each approach:
Transmission Towers
Utilizing a Transmission Tower is the easiest method to locate a Crashed Ship. These towers are Points of Interest (POIs) scattered randomly across planets.
Within each tower, you will encounter a puzzle that requires you to input an access code. Successfully entering the code will activate the distress beacon, causing any nearby Crashed Ships or Crashed Freighters to emit a signal.
Transmission Towers are quite large in size, making them easily visible while flying over the surface of a planet.
Give A Gift To A Faction NPC In The Local Space Station
In each system, there will be a prominent race or faction present. When interacting with an NPC at a local Space Station, you may come across dialogue indicating the existence of a nearby distress signal, with the NPC expressing a desire for you to investigate and potentially take action.
To gain access to this information, you must first offer the highest-tier gift to each faction: the Gek Relic, Vy'keen Effigy, or Korvax Casing. Once you have done so, you will receive guidance pointing you towards a Crashed Ship.
Crashed Ships Do Appear On Your Starship Scope
Similar to other ships, Crashed Ships and Freighters will be displayed as red dots on your Starship scope. This implies that you can simply fly over the surface of a planet and unexpectedly come across one without relying on a Transmission Tower or presenting a gift to an NPC.
Planetary Charts
One aspect of the visual overhaul update, Prisms, that often goes unnoticed is the change regarding Planetary Charts. Previously, these charts were consumed even if no points of interest were found. However, with the update, Planetary Charts are no longer expended when no points of interest are discovered. While you still cannot determine whether the point of interest is a ship or not, the advantage now is that you can simply try again if you don't find anything.
Best Thing To Do With A Crashed Ship Once You Find One
When encountering a crashed ship, you have two options: you can either repair and claim it as your own, or you can dismantle it at a Starship Outfitting Terminal to obtain credits and various ship parts.
Repairing a Crashed Ship
Regardless of your intention to keep or scrap the ship, you will need to repair it to a functional state, allowing it to fly again. This entails fixing several crucial technologies to ensure it can take off. These technologies include:
- Launch Thruster (50x Pure Ferrite, 1x Di-hydrogen Jelly)
- Pulse Engine (1x Hermetic Seal, 1x Metal Plating)
These technologies are essential for getting the ship airborne. Additionally, other components of the ship's technology are likely to be damaged and will need repair to fully utilize the ship's potential. For a comprehensive guide on repairing your ship in No Man's Sky, please refer to the following instructions.
Crashed Ships can provide an excellent opportunity to acquire an affordable and straightforward S-class ship. By utilizing the No Man's Sky Coordinate Exchange site, you can locate crashed S-class ships, repair them, and make them your own.
Scrapping A Crashed Ship
After successfully repairing the Pulse Engine and Launch Thruster of the formerly crashed ship, you can pilot it to the closest space station. There, you can dismantle the ship at the Starship Outfitting Terminal, which will reward you with Nanites and various components. These components can be either traded for credits or utilized in your future endeavors.
Dismantling crashed ships, particularly higher-tier ships such as A and S-class, can be an excellent method to quickly acquire a substantial amount of credits and Nanites.
