If you’ve spent any time building out your freighter fleet in No Man’s Sky, you’ve probably hit a wall trying to figure out how to get salvaged frigate modules no man's sky. These small, rare components are the key to unlocking high-tier frigate traits, fixing damaged fleet ships, and even unlocking exclusive freighter upgrades that make interstellar travel way less of a hassle. I’ve spent dozens of hours testing every possible way to farm these modules, and I’ve cut out all the useless grind to leave only the methods that actually work consistently.
How to Get Salvaged Frigate Modules From Derelict Freighters
Derelict freighters are the most reliable source of salvaged frigate modules by a wide margin, and they’re accessible as soon as you own your first freighter. You’ll need a derelict freighter beacon to locate one, which you can buy from any space station’s scrap dealer for 5 million units, or earn from completing frigate expeditions. Once you warp to the derelict, board it and work your way through its corridors, looting every cargo pod and storage crate you find.
Don’t skip the freighter bridge and engineering rooms—those areas have a 70% higher chance of spawning salvaged frigate modules than standard hallways, per community drop rate tests. You’ll usually find 2 to 4 modules per derelict run, plus extra upgrades and units you can sell to cover the cost of your next beacon. The only downside is that derelicts spawn aggressive security drones and poisonous atmosphere in most sections, so come stocked with hazard protection refills and a decent weapon.
If you’re playing with friends, you can split up to cover more ground in half the time, and every module you find is shared across all members of your group. That means you can get twice as many modules per run if you bring one other player along, which cuts your farming time in half.
Low-Effort Methods For Casual Players
You don’t have to fight your way through a derelict freighter every time you need more modules, especially if you’re a casual player who only logs on a few hours a week. There are two passive methods that work just as well if you’re willing to wait a little longer for rewards.
- Frigate expedition rewards: Assign your fleet to 5-star difficulty expeditions with a "salvage" or "exploration" focus, and you have a 40% chance to get 1 to 3 salvaged frigate modules as a bonus reward when the expedition ends. You don’t have to do any extra work besides sending the fleet out, so you can farm other resources while you wait.
- Scrapping damaged frigates: If you rescue a damaged frigate from a space battle or random encounter, you can choose to scrap it instead of adding it to your fleet. Damaged S-tier frigates will drop 3 to 5 salvaged frigate modules every time, plus extra resources like tritium and platinum. This is a great option if you already have a full fleet and don’t need extra ships.
- Pirate freighter raids: When you attack a pirate freighter in unregulated systems, you can board it after disabling its shields and loot its cargo hold for a chance to find 1 to 2 salvaged frigate modules. You’ll also get a bounty from the system’s governing faction for taking out the pirates, so you turn a profit either way.
These methods aren’t as fast as running derelict freighters, but they require almost no active effort on your part. I usually send my fleet out on salvage expeditions before I log off for the night, and I come back to extra modules and units the next time I log in.
Mistakes To Avoid When Farming Salvaged Frigate Modules
I’ve wasted a ton of time making dumb mistakes when I first started farming these modules, so I’m saving you the hassle by calling out the most common errors players make. First, don’t waste your units buying salvaged frigate modules from other players in the anomaly unless you’re in a huge rush. Most sellers charge 10 million units or more per module, which is double the cost of a derelict freighter beacon that gives you 2 to 4 modules for the same price.
Another mistake is skipping storage crates in derelict freighters because you think they only have common resources. I’ve found multiple modules in random crates in the middle of hallways, so take 2 extra seconds to open every crate you pass. You also don’t need to clear every enemy in a derelict to get the modules—you can run past most drones if you’re fast enough, as long as you don’t stop to fight every single one. Just make sure you bring enough hazard protection to avoid taking damage while you rush through toxic sections.
That said, don’t rush through the bridge room, because you’ll usually find a module hidden in the captain’s locker near the navigation console. I almost missed three modules in one run because I was in a hurry to get out of the derelict before my hazard protection ran out, and I didn’t check the locker until I was almost back to my ship.
Smart Ways To Use Your Salvaged Frigate Modules
Once you have a stack of salvaged frigate modules, you don’t want to waste them on low-tier upgrades that don’t make a big difference for your fleet. First, prioritize upgrading S-tier frigates over lower-tier ships, because S-tier ships get way bigger stat boosts from each module you use. You can easily double the speed and damage resistance of an S-tier frigate with just 5 modules, which makes them way less likely to get damaged during expeditions.
You can also use modules to reroll bad frigate traits, like "slow warp speed" or "high fuel consumption." Each module lets you reroll one random trait, so you can turn a mediocre frigate into a top-tier fleet member without having to hunt for a new one. If you have extra modules left over, you can use them to unlock exclusive freighter upgrades like the fleet warp range booster, which lets your entire fleet warp 30% farther without needing extra fuel. That’s a game-changer if you do a lot of long-distance exploration in uncharted systems.
If you don’t need any upgrades for your own fleet, you can trade extra modules to other players in the anomaly for rare items like exotic ship skins or upgrade modules for your multitool. Just make sure you’re getting a fair trade—salvaged frigate modules are one of the most valuable rare resources in the game right now, so don’t trade them for common items you can farm easily yourself.
At the end of the day, learning how to get salvaged frigate modules no man's sky doesn't have to be a frustrating grind. Stick to derelict freighter runs if you want fast, consistent drops, or use passive expedition rewards if you prefer a more casual playstyle. Avoid overpaying for modules from other players, and save your best modules for S-tier frigates to get the most value out of every drop. Before you know it, you’ll have a top-tier fleet that can handle any expedition you throw at it, with extra modules left over to trade for whatever other rare items you need.
