Ostranauts Salvage Guide

Why the boneyard beats deep-space wrecks early

Fuel and RCS are finite on a loan tug. Boneyard targets sit minutes from dock, not hours. You can abort a strip, sell junk the same cycle, and still cover ~$100k mortgage bills. Deep-system derelicts pay more per module but assume spare O₂, permit timing, and often a tow brace — mid-game problems.

What derelicts look like in practice

Expect unpowered, cold, and already vented hulls — no atmosphere, flickering emergency lights if any. Some ships still hold pressurized rooms (check door status before you cut). Treat every intact compartment as a leak waiting to happen until you scan with DmgViz or visually trace cracks.

Legal vs "salvage anyway" mindset

OKLG sells 24-hour salvage permits that legalize high-value trading and reduce run-ins with station security. You can strip without one, but selling premium modules at the Licensed kiosk and bluffing through inspections gets expensive. Pair permit purchases with your best haul days, not exploratory hops.

Relative velocity is the real boss

The nav console shows VREL — how fast you are sliding past the target. Zero it before you open the airlock. Loan ships are heavy; start braking early. If you pass the wreck, loop wide rather than brute-forcing a spin — RCS gas is cheaper than hull patches.

Moor vs free-float EVA

Small wrecks allow EVA jump from a parked tug a few meters off. Larger hulls may need a soft dock or manual alignment along a maintenance rail. Never EVA while the ship still drifts — you will separate with momentum you cannot recover without wasting suit jets.

Mark your airlock on the way out

First visit: place a beacon mental note or screenshot the tug orientation relative to the wreck. Returning with full bags, it is easy to enter the wrong breach or lose sight of your ship against station glare.

Minimum viable loadout (cycle 1–3)

Crowbar, charged EVA suit, full O₂, headlamp, and one cutting tool (hacksaw or grinder). Everything else is luxury until mortgage is under control. Power tools need charged batteries — check charge at OKLG, not at the airlock.

Carry tools on your suit, not in a locker

Mid-strip tool swaps mean backtracking through vacuum. Assign hotkeys or suit pockets for crowbar + cutter + drill before you exit. EVA Suits skill reduces fumble time if you invested during Build-a-Resume.

PDA cartridges worth the weight

PwrViz shows live power routing on derelicts with ghost grid still connected. DmgViz highlights breaches — critical before you cut a wall that depressurizes a loot room you have not entered yet.

Cut path planning

Enter through an existing breach when possible — do not punch new holes you must later seal on your own ship. Work outward to inward: strip the room you entered before cutting deeper into unknown pressure states.

Mass and airlock size

That Ryokka tow brace looks profitable until it will not fit the airlock. If you cannot drag it to your tug in one EVA trip, defer it. Stackable modules and 1×1 tiles fund tomorrow; oversized pieces fund spreadsheets.

Damage downgrades everything

A cracked Halvorson thruster assembly lands at Scrap prices. Note damage in the item tooltip before you haul — sometimes two intact small parts beat one ruined big one for the same O₂ cost.

When to buy the permit

Buy at OKLG when your hold already contains licensed-tier loot or you are starting a long strip you know holds RCS, fusion, or IFF parts. Do not buy on empty cycles — $5,000 of permit with no premium sale is pure loss on top of mortgage.

Sort in the cargo bay before you walk in

Two trips beat one mistake: Scrap pile left, Licensed pile right. A Polaris VDX-class transponder sold to scrap because you mis-clicked is a career setback — see transponder guide for registration after you salvage flyable hulls.

Illegal salvage consequences

Without paperwork, high-value hauls still exist in your hold — you just cannot monetize them cleanly. Security checks and stolen-ship flags scale with value. Early boneyard strips rarely need lawyering; mid-game towing absolutely does.

The 50% O₂ rule

Turn back when primary O₂ hits half, not when warnings scream. Return path always takes longer — stuck tools, repositioning loot, mis-oriented airlock. Budget reserve for "oops" burns on suit jets.

Heat on dark vs sun-facing hulls

Boneyard wrecks rotate slowly; one side bakes while the other freezes. Move around the hull if suit temp trends wrong. Long cuts happen on the cold side when possible — tools run hot too.

Depressurization surprises

Opening a sealed door without checking pressure vents your suit fast if you are inside the wrong room. Visualize green/red pressure on doors. If unsure, crack from a distance with a remote tool or sacrifice a cheap tile first.

Strip-only signals

Hull brand mismatch with your loan ship, extensive micrometeor damage, missing thrusters and nav, or no transponder path — strip and walk. Time spent towing a lemon is cycles you do not pay debt down.

Tow-candidate signals

Intact frame, working RCS, salvageable reactor bay, and free docking collar — plus you own or can buy a tow brace and register IFF before flight. That is ship building + transponder territory, not day-three salvage.

The flipper math

Ship flippers repair, register, and sell hulls — not tiles. Only attempt when permit sales already cover mortgage and you have spare O₂, fuel, and crew or time for multi-cycle repairs. Otherwise strip the premium modules and leave the carcass for the boneyard.

Profit is only real after kiosk cash

Inventory is not income. Dock, sell, pay mortgage, then sleep. The money guide adds gigs and bulk trade when salvage alone saturates.

Stable salvage loops fund reactor upgrades and crew — read those guides when premium strips pay for three cycles ahead, not one.