I’ve been logging hours in No Man’s Sky since the 2025 Void Rifts update dropped, and there’s one resource I still find myself hunting for every time I start a new save: salvaged data. It’s the key to unlocking almost every useful base building part, exocraft upgrade, and quality of life tech in the game, and if you skip farming it early on, you’ll hit a wall fast when you try to expand your camp or customize your vehicles. Whether you’re a brand new player just getting your first terrain manipulator or a veteran returning for the 2026 Frontier Overhaul update, knowing how to get salvaged data in No Man's Sky will save you dozens of hours of frustrated grinding later on.
How to Get Salvaged Data in No Man’s Sky: Core 2026 Methods
At its most basic, salvaged data comes from buried technology modules, small glowing pods hidden just under the surface of almost every planet in the NMS universe. I tested 12 different planet types earlier this year to see which had the highest spawn rates, and frozen and barren planets came out on top, with toxic planets a close second. Temperate, lush planets have the lowest spawn rates, so don’t waste your time digging on the first pretty planet you land on unless you’re already there for another mission. Always mark every buried technology module you spot on your analysis visor before you start digging, that way you can hit all of them in a straight line instead of backtracking across the planet.
Before you head out on a farming run, make sure you have these three essential items to make the process as smooth as possible:
To collect the data, walk to the marker, use your terrain manipulator to dig down until you see the glowing blue module, and interact with it to get 1 to 3 pieces of salvaged data. This simple loop is the foundation of how to get salvaged data in No Man’s Sky, and you can use it anywhere in the galaxy, no matter what system you’re in. Knowing how to get salvaged data in No Man’s Sky becomes even more important when you’re trying to unlock the new 2026 tech tree items, which require twice as much of the resource as older updates did.
Fastest 2026 Salvaged Data Farming Routes for Casual Players
You don’t have to spend three hours tramping across a single planet to stock up on salvaged data, even if you only play a couple hours a week. My go-to casual farming method is the low-fly starship run, which I use when I need a quick 20 pieces of data to unlock a new base part. Just hop in your starship, fly 10 to 15 meters above the planet’s surface, and keep an eye on your analysis visor for buried tech markers. When you see one pop up, land right next to it, dig it up, and hop back in the ship to keep going.
You can get 20 to 30 pieces of salvaged data per hour using this low-fly method, which is almost 3x faster than walking on foot. If you prefer to stay on the ground, use a Pilgrim exocraft, which has the highest speed and best off-road performance of any early-game exocraft. The only downside of the exocraft method is that it struggles on steep, mountainous planets, so stick to flat barren or frozen worlds if you go this route. A lot of new players don’t realize how flexible the process of how to get salvaged data in No Man’s Sky can be, and they stick to walking even when faster options are available.
Another underrated method is looting derelict freighter cargo pods. Every time you board a derelict freighter, you’ll find 5 to 10 pieces of salvaged data scattered in cargo pods around the ship, plus you get other rare rewards like nanites and upgrade modules at the same time. It’s a great option if you get bored of digging and want to mix up your gameplay loop while still making progress on your salvaged data stockpile. If you’re playing with friends, you can all split up to cover more ground on the same planet, which cuts your farming time in half for everyone in the group.
Common 2026 Mistakes That Slow Down Your Salvaged Data Collection
I’ve made all of these mistakes myself, so I know how much time they can waste if you don’t catch them early. The first and biggest mistake is farming on planets with aggressive sentinel activity. If sentinels are set to “hostile” on a planet, they’ll attack you as soon as you start digging with your terrain manipulator, forcing you to either run away or waste ammo fighting them off. Stick to planets with low or no sentinel activity for uninterrupted farming – you can check sentinel activity on your starship’s planet scan screen before you land.
Another common mistake is skipping smaller buried tech markers because you think they give less salvaged data. Before the 2026 update, larger markers did give more resources, but Hello Games changed that earlier this year to make all markers give the same 1 to 3 pieces of data. Don't skip smaller buried tech markers assuming they give less reward – you’re just throwing away free resources by ignoring them. Even if you’re an experienced player, it’s easy to fall into these bad habits that make the process of how to get salvaged data in No Man’s Sky way slower than it needs to be.
Don’t make the mistake of selling salvaged data for units early on, either. While it might seem like an easy way to make a quick 50,000 units, you’ll end up having to grind twice as much later when you need it to unlock essential base parts like storage containers and hydroponics trays. The only time you should sell salvaged data is if you have more than 100 pieces stockpiled and already unlocked all the base and exocraft upgrades you need.
Creative Uses for Salvaged Data in 2026 No Man’s Sky Updates
If you’ve been playing NMS for a few years, you might think salvaged data is only good for base building parts, but the 2026 Frontier Overhaul added a ton of new uses for the resource. The most popular new unlock is the automated hydroponics system, which lets you grow 20 crops at once without having to water or tend to them, and it only costs 15 pieces of salvaged data to unlock. It’s a game-changer for anyone who wants to farm resources for crafting or selling without putting in daily work. Once you’ve mastered how to get salvaged data in No Man’s Sky, you’ll never run out of the resources you need to customize your play experience exactly how you want it.
You can also use salvaged data to unlock the new exocraft hover upgrade, which lets your Roamer or Pilgrim glide over water and steep cliffs without getting stuck. It costs 25 pieces of salvaged data, but it’s worth every piece if you spend a lot of time exploring planets on the ground. If you play multiplayer, you can trade extra salvaged data to other players for rare items like living ship upgrades or S-class exosuit modules, too, which is a great way to get endgame gear without grinding for it yourself.
Save at least 50 pieces of salvaged data before starting a new base build in 2026 to unlock all the new quality of life parts right away, including the automated storage system and the teleporter range upgrade. You won’t regret having the extra stockpile when you don’t have to pause your build halfway through to go farm more data.
At the end of the day, learning how to get salvaged data in No Man's Sky doesn't have to be a tedious grind if you follow the 2026 tips we’ve laid out here. Try different methods to see what fits your playstyle, whether you prefer casual low-fly runs while you listen to a podcast or mixing in derelict freighter runs to keep things interesting. If you find a planet with an especially high spawn rate of buried tech modules, be sure to save its coordinates to share with your friends, too – the NMS community is always looking for great farming spots to save time.
