No Man's Sky Selling Ships And How To Trade Or Replace Your Starship
Navigating the expansive universe of No Man's Sky requires a reliable vehicle to jump between star systems and explore distant worlds. Managing your personal fleet is a core aspect of gameplay, whether you want to free up space in your freighter or earn extra units. Learning how to properly trade, scrap, or swap your active vessel allows you to continuously upgrade your travel capabilities as you progress.
How to Scrap Ships for Value
While you cannot directly sell a starship to an NPC for cash, you can scrap it at any Space Station using the Starship Outfitting Terminal. Scrapping a ship dismantles it completely, providing valuable trade commodities, starship technology modules, and scrap metal that can be sold for units. This method is ideal for clearing out unwanted crashed ships you have claimed during planetary exploration.
Before scrapping any vessel, ensure that you transfer all critical cargo and upgrades to your primary ship or suit inventory. Anything left inside the targeted starship will be permanently lost once the salvage process is confirmed. Selling the resulting valuable scrap items to galactic trade terminals will quickly convert your salvaged ship into raw currency.
Trading Your Starship with Alien Pilots
Exchanging your current vessel directly for a new one is one of the most common ways to upgrade your stats and storage. When an alien pilot lands at a space station or trading post, interact with them to inspect their starship. Selecting the negotiate offer option allows you to apply the trade-in value of your current vessel toward the price of the incoming ship.
If your current starship is valued higher than the target ship, the purchase cost will be completely covered, though you will not receive a refund for the difference. Conversely, if the target vessel is more expensive, you simply pay the remaining balance in units. This system makes acquiring higher-tier fighters, haulers, or exotics far more affordable.
Finding and Claiming Crashed Vessels
Exploring planet surfaces often leads to distress signals that point toward abandoned or crashed starships. Claiming these vessels adds them to your personal collection without requiring an immediate unit investment. Once claimed, you can repair the launch thrusters and pulse engine to fly the damaged ship straight to a space station for scrap.
Alternatively, you can keep a crashed ship in your fleet and gradually repair its damaged inventory slots over time. Fixing these slots restores the full trade-in value of the ship, allowing you to fetch a much higher price when trading it to another pilot later. Taking time to repair salvaged ships offers a lucrative long-term path to fleet improvement.
Managing Your Active Fleet
Travelers can own multiple starships simultaneously, storing them inside their personal freighter or summoning them on planetary surfaces. Managing this collection efficiently ensures that you always have specialized ships ready for combat, long-range travel, or resource hauling. Swapping your primary vessel before entering a space station guarantees you scrap or trade the intended ship without accidental loss.
When replacing a vessel, always double-check its technology installations and cargo holds. Uninstalling functional technology modules before scrapping or trading yields extra technology components that can be reused or sold separately. Careful fleet management ensures you maximize your earnings and maintain top-tier performance throughout your galactic journey.