You’re mid-exploration on a toxic planet, your scanner is picking up a weird alien signal, but you can’t mark it permanently because you’re out of navigational data. We’ve all been there. Figuring out how to get navigational data in No Man's Sky isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the difference between getting lost in a random star system and mapping every hidden ruin, trading post, and rare resource deposit on your travels. I’ve logged over 300 hours in the game across multiple saves, so I’ve tested every method of farming this resource, from early-game beginner tricks to late-game AFK farms that let you stock up without grinding.
How to Get Navigational Data in No Man’s Sky for Early-Game Players
When you first spawn into a new save, you don’t have a hyperdrive, upgraded tech, or extra units to spend on resources, so stick to low-effort, zero-cost methods to build your initial stockpile. The easiest method is looting storage containers at minor outposts and trading posts. Every outpost has 3 to 5 small crates scattered around the landing pad, and 1 out of 3 will drop 1 to 2 pieces of navigational data alongside common resources like carbon or ferrite dust. I’ve found that desert and frozen planets have way more outposts with lootsable crates than toxic or irradiated ones, so prioritize those if you’re just starting out.
Another reliable early-game method is completing simple delivery missions for NPCs at space stations. Most of the low-level delivery quests (the ones that ask you to bring 10 carbon or 5 pure ferrite to a nearby outpost) reward 2 to 3 navigational data on top of units and faction standing. You don’t even need a hyperdrive for most of these, since the target is almost always in the same star system. Don’t waste your early salvage data on blueprints before you have at least 10 pieces of navigational data saved up—you’ll need it to mark nearby resources so you can farm those blueprints faster.
Mid-Game Farming Methods for Steady Navigational Data Supplies
Once you have a hyperdrive, a few exosuit upgrades, and a basic base set up, you can switch to more efficient farming methods that give you a steady stream of data without constant looting. The most effective method here is scanning uncharted waypoints with your analysis visor. Every time you scan a new ruin, ancient plaque, monolith, or abandoned building, you get 1 navigational data as a reward. If you fly low over a planet’s surface and spam your analysis visor scan, you can pick up 10 to 15 pieces of data per hour without even landing most of the time.
You can also trade surplus starship upgrade modules to cartographers at any space station. Most players end up with a pile of useless common or uncommon starship upgrades they’ll never use, and you can trade 3 of these modules for 1 navigational data. It’s a great way to clear out your inventory while stocking up on useful resources at the same time.
- Equip the analysis visor range upgrade on your exosuit to pick up waypoints from twice as far away while flying
- Prioritize scanning planets with high "ruin" ratings in your system discovery screen—they have 3x more hidden waypoints than average planets
- Save any navigational data you find during story missions, as those drops are guaranteed and don’t require extra grinding
I used this method for two weeks when I was building my first interstellar base, and I ended up with 120 pieces of navigational data before I even finished placing all my base computers. It’s way less tedious than looting crates once you have the right upgrades, and you’ll also stumble across tons of rare resources and story bits along the way.
Late-Game AFK Navigational Data Farms to Avoid Grinding
If you’re hundreds of hours into a save and don’t want to waste time flying around scanning planets, you can set up fully automated farms that generate navigational data even when you’re offline. The most popular method is building navigational data miners at your base. Once you unlock the mineral extractor blueprint, you can build these on any planet that has navigational data deposits, which you can find by scanning the planet’s surface with your surveyor tool. A single extractor will produce 1 navigational data every 10 minutes, and you can stack up to 5 extractors per deposit for a steady stream of resources.
Another zero-effort method is running frigate expeditions focused on exploration. If you have a freighter with a fleet of exploration frigates, send them on 24-hour exploration missions. 90% of these missions reward 15 to 25 navigational data on top of other rare resources like nanites or salvage data, and you don’t have to do anything except send them out and collect the rewards when they get back. Make sure your frigate fleet has at least 3 exploration-focused frigates per mission to cut down on failure rates, or you might end up wasting fuel for no reward. I have 6 extractors running on my main base planet, and I collect 80+ pieces of navigational data every time I log back in after a day away. It’s completely eliminated the need for me to grind for this resource at all.
Smart Ways to Use Your Navigational Data (So You Don’t Waste It)
It’s easy to burn through your entire stock of navigational data on useless purchases if you don’t have a plan, so stick to high-value uses first to get the most out of every piece. The best use by far is unlock hidden planetary waypoints first. Each waypoint costs 1 navigational data to reveal, and it’s always worth it to find trading posts, ancient ruins, and rare resource deposits that you can’t find with regular scans. You can even mark these waypoints permanently so you can come back to them later if you need to farm resources or complete faction missions.
Another great use is trade for system maps at cartographers. 3 pieces of navigational data will get you a map of all inhabited systems in a nearby region, which is perfect if you’re looking for specific economy types or rare alien races to trade with for high-value goods. Don’t waste navigational data on temporary map markers for common resources like carbon or ferrite dust—you can find those anywhere with a quick scan, so save your data for rarer finds that you can’t track down easily. A common mistake I see new players make is spending all their navigational data on random map rolls, hoping to get a rare ruin. That’s a waste of resources—you’re far better off saving it to unlock waypoints you actually find with your analysis visor, since those are guaranteed to give you useful rewards.
At the end of the day, figuring out how to get navigational data in No Man's Sky doesn’t have to be a tedious grind, no matter what stage of the game you’re in. You can stick to looting crates when you first start, farm waypoints once you have better upgrades, or set up automated extractors when you’re settled into a late-game save. The most important thing is to only use it for upgrades and waypoints that actually add value to your playthrough, instead of wasting it on random rolls that might not give you anything useful. I’ve tested every single one of these methods across multiple saves, and they all work reliably even after the latest game updates, so you don’t have to worry about them getting patched out anytime soon. If you have a favorite method I didn’t mention, feel free to drop it in the comments below!
