Claiming a crashed ship adds it to your starship collection rather than automatically trading away the ship you arrived in—provided you choose the add/claim option. Choosing exchange is different: it trades an owned ship for the wreck. Read the interaction screen carefully, because the confirmation determines which ship you are giving up.
Claim, exchange, or leave: what each choice does
At a crashed-ship site, distinguish taking ownership from trading. The available choices and labels can vary by interaction, so use the wording on the screen rather than assuming every wreck presents identical options.
| Choice | What happens to your current ship | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Add to collection / claim | You keep your existing ship and add the wreck to your owned ships, subject to the game’s available collection capacity and the interaction presented. | The wreck is damaged and needs repairs before it can fly. See the crashed-ship guide. |
| Exchange | You trade an owned ship for the wreck. The ship selected for trade may be permanently removed; do not assume it or its cargo will be preserved. | Move anything you want to keep out of the ship being traded, then read the in-game confirmation before accepting. The Crashed Ship wiki warns that the exchanged ship can be lost. |
| Leave | You do not take ownership of the wreck. | A distress beacon at the site may offer a separate interaction or reward; that is not the same as claiming the ship. See the crashed-ship guide. |
What to do before choosing exchange
- Move wanted items out of the ship you may trade away.
- Check which owned ship the interaction is offering to exchange.
- Read the confirmation text and cancel if it does not match your intention.
If your goal is to keep both the wreck and your current ship, choose add/claim rather than exchange. The current active-fleet limit is not established by the cited official update notes, so avoid relying on older capacity figures; follow the capacity and options shown in your game.
What repairs does a claimed wreck need?
Claiming does not restore a crashed ship to working order. Repair its launch thruster and pulse engine before expecting to take off. Other damaged technology or slots can remain broken and be repaired later. The No Man’s Sky Resources crashed-ship guide identifies those two systems as the ones required for flight.
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If a pilot is still at the wreck
Some crashed-ship encounters have a pilot present. In that case, you may be able to help the pilot repair the ship and leave, but you cannot claim that vessel, according to the same guide.
Where your other ships go
A freighter provides a hangar for non-active ships. Hello Games introduced multiple-ship ownership and freighter storage in its Pathfinder update. If you want to make room for another ship, the later archive feature offers additional storage through the fleet-management terminal on the freighter bridge.
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Archiving ships
Hello Games’ Worlds Part II update (Update 5.50) says the archive can hold up to 18 ships in addition to the active fleet. As Hello Games puts it, “Archiving a ship removes it from your list of available starships, freeing up space to acquire new ships.” Archived ships keep installed technology but lose all loose cargo, so remove anything you want to retain before archiving.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which ship-capacity figures are current?
Hello Games announced an allowance of nine owned starships in its Outlaws update, but that is a historical update figure, not a verified current active-fleet cap. Likewise, the crashed-ship guide’s older statement that you need fewer than six ships to add a wreck should not be treated as the current limit. The cited official materials establish the archive’s 18 additional slots, but do not state a current active-fleet cap. Use the interaction screen and its capacity message for your game version.
Quick Recap
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- Play with all major updates since launch
- And now with added Cross-Save! No Man’s Sky now supports Cross-Play and Cross-Save between a huge number of platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, Xbox One and Series X/S, Game Pass, GOG, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, PlayStation VR 1 & 2 and PCVR.
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- Embark on an epic voyage, find your own destiny in this epic space adventure
- Includes 6 years of updates*
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- For the first time ever, PlayStation 5 physical edition as well as Nintendo Switch (physical & digital)
- Please note that although this game is Region Free or Region Unlocked and will work on all systems, this is the international version and may differ from the local version in age rating, labeling or instructions.
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