Space is unforgiving, and a derelict drifting through the Boneyard is one of the most reliable sources of income for a new captain. This guide walks through every stage of ship salvage in Ostranauts, from the paperwork that lets you legally cut into a wreck to the hull-scraping tactics that turn dead hulls into fuel credits. You'll learn where to find vessels worth boarding, what tools you actually need before you dock, and how to avoid the costly mistakes that wipe out an entire run. If you've ever docked with a wreck and wondered what to do next, this walkthrough gives you a repeatable workflow you can use on your very next shift.
Preparing for Your First Ship Salvage Run
Jumping straight into a derelict without preparation is the fastest way to lose money in Ostranauts. Salvage work requires three things before you ever engage the docking clamps: a valid salvage permit, the right cutting equipment, and a ship with enough cargo space to haul what you pull out. Skipping any one of these turns a profitable run into a fine or, worse, a hull breach that ends your captain's career.
The good news is that the paperwork loop is short. Once you've registered with the right authority at a station hub, your permit stays valid across most systems, so future runs only require restocking consumables. For a deeper breakdown of what to carry on every salvage trip, see our Ostranauts salvage tips guide.
Required Licenses and Permits
Before you cut into a single hull panel, you need authorization. Stations enforce this strictly — boarding an unmarked wreck without the right permit can trigger fines that exceed the value of your haul.
| Permit Type | Where to Obtain | Cost Range | What It Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salvage License (Tier 1) | Hub registry office | 500–800 credits | Basic wreck boarding |
| Boneyard Access Pass | Boneyard control station | 1,200 credits | High-density derelict zones |
| Hazardous Wreck Endorsement | Faction quartermaster | 2,000 credits | Radiation-damaged hulls |
| Commercial Salvage Permit | Trade authority kiosk | 3,500 credits | Resale of recovered components |
If you're focused specifically on earning and validating your permit, the salvage permit walkthrough covers the application timeline and the specific stations that issue each tier.
Essential Salvage Equipment
Your starting cutter handles a single panel before overheating, which makes it useless for serious work. Real salvagers carry a loadout that survives at least one full derelict without returning to port.
| Tool | Purpose | Recommended Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Plasma Cutter | Cuts hull panels and bulkheads | Industrial (heat sink mod) |
| Magnetic Tether | Stabilizes loose components | Reinforced variant |
| Atmosphere Filter Mask | Survives vented compartments | Standard with spare cartridges |
| Crowbar / Pry Bar | Opens jammed access hatches | Heavy-duty |
| Cargo Sled | Hauls heavy scrap back to your ship | Magnetic-traction model |
| Diagnostic Scanner | Identifies valuable components before cutting | Mid-range with wire tracers |
Always pack at least two spare heat sinks for your cutter and a backup air cartridge. Running out of either mid-wreck means abandoning the haul.
Locating Derelicts in the Boneyard
The Boneyard is a graveyard of stripped and abandoned ships drifting on predictable trajectories. Not every wreck is worth the risk, and not every derelict is even reachable with a standard civilian drive. Knowing which signatures to chase — and which to ignore — is half the battle when you're learning Ostranauts how to salvage ships efficiently.
Players report that the densest clusters of salvageable wrecks form in three zones, each with distinct risk profiles. New captains should start in the Outer Ring before graduating to the Inner Belt, where derelicts are richer but more heavily contested by rival salvagers.
For a region-by-region breakdown, including the exact nav coordinates for the highest-yield wrecks, check the boneyard salvage map resource.
Best Boneyard Hunting Routes
| Zone | Wreck Density | Average Haul Value | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer Ring | High | 1,500–3,000 credits | Low (minimal NPC traffic) |
| Inner Belt | Medium | 4,000–7,000 credits | Medium (rival salvagers present) |
| Deep Core | Low | 10,000+ credits | High (radiation, unstable hulls) |
Reading Wreck Signatures
Your ship's long-range scanner paints every object in the field, but only certain signatures indicate a worthwhile target:
- Cold Hull Signature — power is offline; you can board without triggering automated defenses.
- Faint Beacon Pulse — the wreck still has a functioning distress marker, which usually means intact navigation data.
- Scattered Debris Field — the ship has been partially stripped already, but salvageable components often remain.
- Hot Reactor Reading — radioactive, dangerous, but extremely valuable. Requires the Hazardous Wreck Endorsement.
A common mistake new players make is chasing every signature. Cold hulls with faint beacons consistently deliver the best return-on-effort ratio because you skip the defensive turrets that shred light freighters.
The Step-by-Step Salvage Process
Once you've locked onto a target and matched its drift vector, the actual salvage procedure follows a repeatable sequence. This is the core workflow for Ostranauts how to salvage ships without losing your crew or your cutter to a hull breach. The entire process takes roughly twenty minutes for a standard wreck, longer if you encounter sealed compartments or unstable reactor cores.
Boarding and Securing the Wreck
Docking clamps attach your ship to the derelict's outer hull. Before you cut, scan the entire external surface for:
- Active defense turrets (visible as glowing red nodes)
- Unstable fuel lines (orange-glowing pipes along the spine)
- Sealed bulkheads that require code-breaking tools
Disable turrets first, either by cutting their power feeds or by matching the ship's emergency shutdown frequency (which most wrecks broadcast on channel 7). Once the hull is dark, you have roughly ten minutes before backup generators cycle the defenses back online, so move quickly through the entry points.
Cutting and Extracting Components
Inside the wreck, prioritize components by resale value and weight. Always cut the heavy machinery first — reactor cores, drive couplings, and water reclamation units — because they anchor the hull and falling debris can damage lighter cargo.
| Component | Avg. Resale Value | Cutting Difficulty | Risk If Disturbed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reactor Core (decommissioned) | 4,500 credits | High | Radiation leak |
| Drive Coupling | 1,800 credits | Medium | Hull stress fracture |
| Navigation Computer | 2,200 credits | Low | None |
| Water Reclaimer | 900 credits | Low | Minor leak |
| Hull Alloy Plates | 200 credits (per stack) | Very Low | None |
| Life Support Module | 1,400 credits | Medium | Oxygen dump |
Use your magnetic tether to stabilize anything you cut loose, then drag heavy components back to your cargo sled. Avoid stacking more than three reactor-grade items in one sled — physics dictates that unstable cores shift during acceleration and can punch through your ship's bulkhead.
Maximizing Profit and Reducing Risk
A skilled salvager walks away with 70–80% of a wreck's theoretical value. A beginner often leaves with less than 30%, because they cut the wrong components, trigger avoidable damage events, or accept the first offer at the trade kiosk. The gap between those two outcomes comes down to discipline and pricing awareness.
Pricing Your Salvage
Never sell to the first station that offers a buy menu. Prices vary by a factor of three between hubs, and faction-owned stations pay a premium for intact navigation data and certified hull alloy.
| Item | Low-Tier Station | Mid-Tier Hub | Faction Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hull Alloy Plates | 150/stack | 200/stack | 280/stack |
| Navigation Computer | 1,400 | 2,200 | 3,100 |
| Drive Coupling | 1,200 | 1,800 | 2,400 |
| Reactor Core | 3,000 | 4,500 | 6,200 |
Hold your haul for at least one market cycle if your cargo bay allows. Prices spike after major fleet engagements, when demand for replacement components outstrips supply across every station in the system.
Common Salvage Hazards and How to Avoid Them
| Hazard | Trigger | Consequence | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reactor Meltdown | Cutting power lines in wrong order | Hull breach, crew injury | Cut cooling system first |
| Oxygen Depletion | Entering vented compartments without mask | Crew suffocation | Carry 2 spare air cartridges |
| Rival Salvager Interdiction | Lingering too long on a contested wreck | Cargo theft, fines | Scan for nearby ships every 5 min |
| Hull Stress Fracture | Removing too many support struts | Catastrophic decompression | Leave 30% of frame intact |
| Defensive Turret Activation | Missed external scan | Ship damage | Always run pre-board scan |
The single most expensive mistake reported by veteran players is leaving too late. If your cargo sled is 80% full and you've been on the wreck for more than twenty-five minutes, the math usually favors returning to port rather than risking an interdiction from a rival salvager who has been watching your drift vector.
If you're interested in customizing your loadout beyond the standard equipment — including unlocked cutter mods and upgraded tether systems — the modding starter guide walks through the workshop basics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a salvage license before I can board any wreck in Ostranauts?
Yes. Even a stripped hulk in the Outer Ring triggers a station fine if you board without a valid Salvage License (Tier 1). The license costs between 500 and 800 credits depending on the issuing hub, and once registered it remains valid for the rest of your playthrough. Apply at any registry office on a Tier-2 station or higher.
What is the most profitable component to extract from a derelict?
By resale value per kilogram, the reactor core dominates every other salvage item. A decommissioned core sells for 4,500 credits at a mid-tier hub and over 6,000 at a faction station. The trade-off is cutting difficulty — you must sever the cooling system first, or the core vents radiation that damages your crew and contaminates the rest of your cargo. Only attempt this if you hold the Hazardous Wreck Endorsement.
Can I salvage ships that are still inhabited by NPCs?
Technically yes, but the legal and combat consequences make it unprofitable for new captains. Inhabited vessels trigger station alerts, and the defending crew will engage you with ship-mounted weapons. Community testing suggests the fines and repair costs exceed the resale value of any components you can extract in the time window before reinforcements arrive. Stick to cold-hull derelicts until you've mastered the basic workflow.
How long does a typical salvage run take from start to payout?
A standard Outer Ring wreck takes roughly twenty minutes to board, cut, extract, and return to port. Add another ten to fifteen minutes for selling at a trade kiosk, plus travel time to and from the Boneyard. Plan for a full forty-five-minute cycle per run when you're just starting out, and you can shorten that to thirty minutes once your cutting speed improves.
Where can I find the official documentation for salvage mechanics?
The community-maintained Ostranauts wiki catalogues every licensed component, every permit tier, and every hazard trigger with patch-stamped timestamps. It is the most reliable reference for current mechanics because it is updated alongside each game patch by players who test changes in the live build.
Got a salvage story or a wreck that paid off way more than expected? Drop it in the comments — the best haul reports in this community have come from captains who shared what they cut, where they found it, and what they almost lost along the way.