A Salvager's Guide to Material Collection

From precision hull scraping to full-scale material and component recovery, salvaging offers one of the most profitable and versatile careers in the 'verse. Whether flying solo or as part of a crew, each wreck presents a chance to explore, recover, and profit from the remains of the stars.

Join us as we explore the systems and tools that define this rewarding profession…

TYPES OF SALVAGE

*** Components & Cargo ***

Before tearing down a wreck, it's always worth checking its interior and systems for anything still intact or valuable. Many derelicts still hold functional components, weapons, or cargo that can be retrieved using precision tractor beams before the hull is stripped away.

Depending on the vessel you’re salvaging, the components might be locked and you will first have to unlock them via the cockpit controls aboard the wreckage before they can be pulled free. Once detached, these items can be stored aboard your ship if you have available space in the cargo grid.

*** Hull Scraping ***

Hull scraping is the foundation of modern salvage operations, allowing operators to reclaim valuable Recycled Material Composite (RMC) from the outside of derelict ships, converting wreckages into usable resources for trade, repair, or resale.

If you will be using a specialized salvaging vehicle, you will need to first enter salvage mode before you can begin. There you will have access to a informative HUD that will display the percentage of the remaining target hull, optimal range, and how much available storage space you have.

Once your RMC storage is full, many salvaging vehicles come with an onboard processing unit that can produce SCU containers from the RMC you’ve collected. Depending on your ship, RMC can also be converted into RMC canisters used by salvage and repair hand tools.

*** Structural Salvage ***

Structural salvage takes recovery operations beyond the surface, breaking down derelicts into their raw framework to harvest useful commodities. The process begins with "Fracturing Mode," which cracks the derelict hulls into smaller parts. This is followed by "Disintegration Mode," which further breaks down the wreckage, yielding various unrefined Construction Materials ranging from "Construction Rubble" to "Construction Pieces" to "Construction Salvage" depending on the salvaging ship used.

Construction Materials recovered in structural salvage will often need to be refined before selling, with results varying by salvage ship type: Rubble from Light Salvage ships offers the fastest processing but lowest yield, Pieces from Medium Salvage ships provide balanced results, and Salvage from Heavy Salvage ships delivers the highest refined return at the cost of longer processing times.

To use a rest stop’s refinery, you must first unload your salvaged materials via a freight elevator into the station's inventory before starting the refinement job. You can choose between different processing methods that affect the yield, cost, and time of the refinement.

NEXT STEPS

*** Sell Your Spoils ***

While many salvagers prefer to do contracted work, plenty of operators prefer instead to sell their reclaimed materials on the open market. Once you've got SCU containers full of RMC or Construction Materials, head to a commodity kiosk at a landing zone or rest stops and sell them. However, not all kiosks will purchase these recycled materials, and don't forget to keep an eye on the price to make sure you're getting the best deal you can. Construction materials are often needed for space station repairs on better maintained stations througout Stanton and Nyx. And while RMC is not as frequently in demand, stations in Pyro often need more maintenance and are often a good place to sell a surplus of the material.

*** Ready to Repair ***

If you created RMC canisters at your onboard filler station and you've got your SRT Multi-Tool attachment handy, you can use the RMC to repair damage. You can significantly repair a hull but not fully. To fully restore your ship's hull, you'll need to take it to a landing pad or hangar that offers repair services.