I remember my first 10 hours in No Man's Sky, trundling around in that beat-up starter hauler that could barely carry 20 units of ferrite dust without overheating. I kept running into shiny, faster ships at space stations but had no clue how to actually get one for myself without grinding for units I didn't have. If you're in the same boat, you're probably searching for how to get new ship in No Man's Sky without wasting hours of playtime on dead ends. The good news is there are tons of methods, from free crashed finds to high-end trading, that work for both new players and endgame travelers. I've tested every single one of these methods across 3 save files, so I can break down exactly what works, what doesn't, and which method fits your current progress.
How to Get New Ship in No Man’s Sky for Free: Hunt Crashed Ships on Planets
If you're looking for how to get new ship in No Man's Sky without spending a single unit, this is by far your best bet. Crashed ships spawn randomly on every type of planet, and you can claim them for free as long as you can repair their basic flight systems. You can find them by using signal scanners to pick up distress beacons, following flying debris in the atmosphere, or buying distress signal maps from space station cartographers using navigation data. Navigation data is super easy to earn by scanning data points on planets or opening chests at buildings, so you don't have to spend any resources to get these maps.
When you land at a crashed ship site, you'll first see a broken terminal next to the ship. Interact with it to pull the ship's data, which will show you its class, slot count, and the exact repairs you need to get it airborne. Always check the class and slot count before committing to a crashed ship, because you can't upgrade slot count later, only class. I once spent 2 hours repairing a crashed hauler only to realize it had 2 fewer slots than my current ship, total waste of ferrite and di-hydrogen. You don't have to repair every broken component to claim it, just the launch thruster and pulse engine. The rest of the broken parts can be repaired later at your leisure, or you can scrap the ship for units and upgrade modules if you decide you don't want to keep it.
Buy Ships from NPCs at Space Stations and Trading Posts
If you have extra units saved up and want to skip the hassle of hunting for crashed ships, buying from NPCs is the most straightforward method. Every time you dock at a space station or land at a planetary trading post, 10-15 NPCs will land with their ships over a 10 minute window. You can walk up to any landed ship, interact with the pilot, and view the ship's stats and purchase price immediately. The price of a ship depends entirely on its slot count and class. A C-class fighter with 20 slots might cost you 2 million units, while an S-class hauler with 48 slots can run you upwards of 120 million units.
You don't have to pay full price for a new ship, either. You can trade in your current ship for credit that covers up to 90% of the cost, depending on the value of your existing vessel. I once traded in a beat-up B-class explorer for 80% of the cost of an S-class fighter, so I only had to pay 12 million units out of pocket, which was way less than I expected. S-class ships spawn at a 2% rate in regular systems, and 5% rate in wealthy systems, so if you're hunting for top-tier ships, stick to systems marked as "wealthy" in your galaxy map to cut down on wait time. Exotic ships have fixed spawn rates, so you might have to wait 10-15 minutes at a station for one to show up if you're farming for that specific unique design.
Earn Free Ships Through Main Quests and Community Expeditions
A lot of new players don't realize that the game gives you multiple free ships just for progressing through the main story, no extra work required. The first free ship you get is the starborn ship during the Artemis quest line, which is a solid mid-game fighter with great maneuverability and more slots than most starter ships. Later in the main story, you'll also get access to a free living ship, a biological vessel that grows new slots and upgrades over time as you complete small side quests for it. Living ships have some of the best base stats in the game, so they're a great option for endgame players who want something unique.
Limited-time community expeditions also almost always give out exclusive, unique ships as rewards for completing simple challenges. These challenges usually include things like traveling a certain distance, collecting a specific resource, or selling a set amount of goods, all things you'd probably be doing anyway. Expedition exclusive ships can't be found anywhere else in the game, so it's worth popping in for every new expedition even if you don't have a lot of time to play. Even if you only complete the first 2 tiers of an expedition, you usually get a free ship or a huge discount voucher for one that you can use on your main save file. You don't have to stick with the expedition save permanently, either, you can transfer all rewards to your main save in just a few clicks.
Upgrade Your Existing Ship vs. Replace It: What's Better?
A common mistake a lot of new players make is jumping to a new ship every time they see one with a slightly better stat, without considering the long-term cost of upgrading or transferring their gear. Before you commit to a new ship, weigh the pros and cons of upgrading your current one vs replacing it entirely:
- Upgrading pros: You get to keep a ship you already like the design of, and you can raise its class from C to S for a set amount of nanites. You also don't have to re-install all your existing tech modules or transfer your inventory, which saves a lot of time.
- Upgrading cons: You can never add more general or technology slots to a ship, so if your current ship has a low slot count, upgrading is a waste of resources. You'll also spend far more nanites upgrading a lower class ship than you would just finding a pre-spawned A or S class ship with the same slot count.
- Replacing pros: You can find ships with 40+ general slots and pre-installed S-class tech modules for far less than the cost of upgrading a lower slot ship. You can also pick from hundreds of unique designs to find one that matches your personal style.
- Replacing cons: You have to re-install all your favorite tech modules and transfer all your inventory, which can take 10-15 minutes of work for a fully kitted ship. If you're buying a high-end ship, you'll also have to spend a lot of units or trade in a ship you might be attached to.
I usually stick with a ship until I find one with at least 5 more general slots than my current one, or a design I really love that fits my playstyle. For example, I love exploring uncharted systems, so I prioritize explorer ships with high hyperdrive range over fast fighters. Never waste nanites upgrading a C or B class ship unless it has the maximum possible slot count for its type, because you'll end up spending more nanites than you would just finding a better pre-spawned A or S class ship. Hauler ships have the highest possible slot count, so if you're a trader or explorer that carries a lot of resources, prioritize haulers over fighters or explorers for your main cargo ship.
At the end of the day, there's no right or wrong way to get a new ship in No Man's Sky, it all depends on how much time you want to put in and what you want to use the ship for. If you're a new player with no units, hunting crashed ships is the best way to get a big upgrade for free. If you're an endgame player hunting for the perfect S-class exotic, camping a wealthy system space station will get you what you want eventually. No matter what your playstyle is, now that you know how to get new ship in No Man's Sky, you can stop settling for that beat-up starter hauler and fly something that fits your needs. I've still got the first crashed S-class hauler I found 2 years ago in my hangar, it's slow as hell but it carries all my resources and I never would have found it if I didn't take a detour to follow a distress signal on a frozen moon. Don't be afraid to wander off your planned path, you never know what you'll find.
