Part of the handbook:

Quick Answer

  • Place a Base Computer anywhere on a planet to claim land and unlock the build menu.
  • Every structure needs power: start with a Biofuel Reactor, then upgrade to Solar Panels, Batteries, or an Electromagnetic Generator on a hotspot.
  • The base boundary extends 300u from the Base Computer by default and can be stretched further with the right technique.
  • Each save supports up to 400 planetary bases (plus your freighter base and settlement); a single base can hold up to 3,000 uploaded parts.
  • Mineral Extractors and Supply Depots generate resources passively, even while you are offline.
  • A Base Teleport Module lets you warp between any of your bases and visited space stations instantly.
  • The Voyagers update (August 2025) introduced Corvette-class ship-bases. Fully customizable mobile bases you can fly and crew with friends.

Overview

Base building sits at the heart of the No Man's Sky experience. A base is not just a pretty structure. It is a power plant, a farm, a storage hub, a fast-travel node, and a statement of how far you have come since crawling off that first broken ship.

Hello Games has added layer after layer to the system since launch. Today, in 2026, you can place a modest starter shelter in minutes, wire it up for passive power, connect Mineral Extractors to a pipeline of Supply Depots, and teleport back whenever your storage fills. At the far end of the progression sits the Corvette. A player-built mega-ship that doubles as a flying base you can crew with friends.

Whether you are placing your first structure or optimizing an Activated Indium operation, this hub covers the full journey. Use the child guides below for deep dives on each system.

Step 1 — Claim Your Land

Everything begins with the Base Computer. You will find it under Portable Technology in the build menu (hold the build key/button). Place it, interact with it to name and claim your base, and you now have a 300u radius of buildable space centered on that device.

There is no cost to placing a Base Computer beyond the handful of common materials to craft it, and you can have up to 400 planetary bases per save. That freedom is deliberate. The game encourages you to plant a base near every valuable resource hotspot you find.

Read the full walkthrough for newcomers in the No Man's Sky Base Building Guide for Beginners, which covers the claim process, unlocking building parts from the Construction Research Station, and your first night in your own walls.

Choosing Where to Build

Location is not just aesthetic. A base planted near an Electromagnetic Power Hotspot, a Concentrated Gas Cloud, or a Deep-Level Mineral Deposit will pay dividends for the rest of your playtime. Install the Survey Device upgrade in your Analysis Visor and sweep the terrain in Surveying Mode. The audio cue tells you when you are walking toward a hotspot.

Hotspots are graded C through S, and the output difference is significant. Spending an extra twenty minutes hunting an S-class Electromagnetic Hotspot before committing your Base Computer can eliminate most of your future power headaches. The full strategy is in our No Man's Sky Best Base Locations guide.

Step 2 — Wire Up Power

No power means no working technology: extractors sit idle, teleporters go dark, and even storage containers become inaccessible. Power is the connective tissue of every base.

Power Sources at a Glance

Source Output Notes
Biofuel Reactor Moderate Needs Carbon to run; great for early game and small outposts
Solar Panel 50 kPs (daytime) Free, zero maintenance; pair with Batteries for 24h coverage
Battery Storage buffer Stores solar power for nighttime and storms
Electromagnetic Generator 130–315 kPs (constant) Best long-term option; output scales with hotspot grade (C to S); must be placed on an EM Hotspot

The classic mid-game setup pairs Solar Panels with Batteries. Near a geographic pole, panels supply a reduced but constant trickle around the clock. The best late-game answer is an Electromagnetic Generator on a strong hotspot, no fuel, no downtime, and output that scales dramatically from a C-class to an S-class site. Wiring all of it together with Power Cables is covered thoroughly in the No Man's Sky Base Power and Wiring Guide.

Step 3 — Understand the Base Boundary

The Base Computer defines your build zone, but it is not a fixed cage. The No Man's Sky Base Computer and Boundary Guide explains the mechanics in detail, including how to expand your effective build radius well beyond the default 300u limit using a technique involving Save Points placed at the edge of the boundary.

Key limits to know:

  • Per-base upload cap: 3,000 parts (bases above this cannot be shared publicly)
  • Global part cap: 16,000 base objects across all your bases on a save
  • Base count: 400 planetary bases + 1 freighter base + 1 settlement per save

Planning around these caps early prevents painful teardowns later.

Step 4 — Build Automated Farms

Passive resource generation is where base building crosses over into serious Units-per-hour income. Two systems drive it: Mineral Extractors for solid resources and Gas Extractors for atmospheric ones.

How Mineral Extractors Work

A Mineral Extractor placed over a Deep-Level Mineral Deposit harvests resources automatically, even while you are logged off. Each extractor stores 250 units of output internally. Once that fills, production stops, unless you connect Supply Depots with Supply Pipes. Each Supply Depot adds 1,000 units of overflow storage, and you can chain as many as you need.

Both blueprints cost 10 Salvaged Data each from the Construction Research Station aboard the Space Anomaly. If you are farming Salvaged Data, our Salvaged Data Farming guide has efficient routes.

The big money play is an Activated Indium Mining Base: Activated Indium is one of the highest-value minable resources in the game, and a well-built extractor farm generates serious passive income. For the full setup walkthrough, including hotspot placement, pipe layouts, and Depot chaining, see the No Man's Sky Automated Mining and Supply Depots guide.

Plant Farming

Hydroponic Trays and Bio-Domes let you grow crafting ingredients indoors. This is the foundation of high-end crafting economies. Growing the raw materials for Stasis Devices and Fusion Igniters inside your base and processing them for massive profit. See the Stasis Device and Fusion Igniter guide for full production chains.

Step 5 — Connect Your Bases with Teleporters

Once you have more than one base, the Base Teleport Module becomes essential. It lets you warp instantly to any base you own or any space station you have previously visited. Your active starship teleports with you. Landing near a pad if you have one built.

Each base supports one Base Teleport Module. For moving between points within a large single base, the Short-Range Teleporter handles internal routing and can daisy-chain to your main teleporter.

The module costs 2 Salvaged Data to blueprint and consumes 20 kPs of power when active. Everything about building a networked fast-travel system across your bases, including filtering destinations by type and the role of the Teleportation Terminal for NPC staff. Is in the No Man's Sky Teleporters and Base Networking Guide.

The Voyagers Expansion: Corvette Bases (2025)

The August 2025 Voyagers update added Corvette-class ships: enormous player-built vessels that function as fully customizable mobile bases. You assemble every section of hull, corridor, and interior room (med-bays, war rooms, teleportation hubs, mission radars, and crew quarters) from scratch at a Corvette Workshop inside any Space Station.

Corvettes are multiplayer-capable: friends can board as crew members, share missions, man ship functions, and explore planets together using the Corvette as a mobile home base. They represent the current ceiling of the base building system: a base that moves, fights, and travels with you across the galaxy.

Going Industrial: Power Grids & Extractors

Once a base outgrows a Solar Panel and a battery, you move to surveyed hotspots. The power and industrial extractors guide covers electromagnetic generators, gas extraction, hotspot classes, and sizing a grid so nothing browns out.

Unlocking More Build Parts

The build menu starts small and grows with Salvaged Data spent at the Space Anomaly. The base blueprints and unlocks guide lays out which part groups to unlock first.

Making Your Base Sound Like Yours

Once the lights are on, the ByteBeat Device lets you compose music inside the game and wire it to pulse your base lighting in time. The ByteBeat music guide covers unlocking the parts, the sequencer, and sharing songs with other players.

Growing Your Own Materials

A base can feed you as well as house you. Hydroponic Trays and Bio-Domes turn biome-locked plants into a renewable supply you harvest at home rather than flying for. The farming and agriculture guide covers structures, crops, and how large a farm needs to be to feed the high-value product chains.

FAQ

How do I unlock more building parts?

Most advanced parts (including Mineral Extractors, Supply Depots, and Teleport Modules) are bought with Salvaged Data at the Construction Research Station aboard the Space Anomaly. Salvaged Data is dug up from Buried Technology Modules on planet surfaces using your Terrain Manipulator.

Can I move my Base Computer after placing it?

You can pick up and dismantle a Base Computer, which removes the base claim entirely. Any structures within that base will then be dismantled and their materials returned. Plan your location carefully before committing. The Base Computer and Boundary Guide covers safe ways to adjust placement.

Do my extractors keep running when I'm offline?

Yes: Mineral and Gas Extractors continue to accumulate output whether the game is running or not, up to the storage limit of their connected Supply Depots. Log in, collect, and they start filling again immediately.

How many bases can I have?

Each save allows up to 400 planetary bases, plus one freighter base and one settlement. If you hit the limit and need space for a new one, you will need to delete an existing base from its Base Computer.

What's the fastest way to get early power?

Craft a Biofuel Reactor first. It only needs Carbon (plentiful everywhere) and gets you operational immediately. Transition to Solar Panels and Batteries once you have the Salvaged Data to unlock them, and aim for an Electromagnetic Generator on a hotspot as your long-term solution.

What is the best base for making Units passively?

An Activated Indium extractor farm on an S-class deposit is widely regarded as one of the strongest passive Unit generators in the game. Pair it with enough Supply Depots for long accumulation runs so you do not have to log in constantly. See the full breakdown in our Activated Indium Mining Base guide and the broader money-making methods hub.

Key Takeaways

  • Place a Base Computer to claim any location, then unlock parts at the Space Anomaly's Construction Research Station using Salvaged Data.
  • Location matters: survey for Electromagnetic, Mineral, and Gas hotspots before committing.
  • Wire everything with power first; no power means no functioning technology.
  • Mineral Extractors + Supply Depots = passive resource income that accumulates offline.
  • A Base Teleport Module connects all your bases into an instant travel network.
  • The default build radius is 300u but can be extended significantly with the right technique.
  • The Voyagers update (2025) added buildable Corvette-class mega-ships as the ultimate mobile base option. Crewable by friends in multiplayer.
  • Once your personal bases are thriving, consider claiming a planetary settlement for daily production and town management: a settlement is run rather than built, through construction projects, policy decisions and a daily management routine that has nothing in common with placing parts yourself.
  • Flatten before you build. Every snapping problem downstream starts with uneven ground, and the Terrain Manipulator guide covers levelling a pad properly plus the terrain-edit budget that decides whether your carved-out ground stays carved out.
  • When the build menu stops being enough, glitch building techniques are how every base you have seen a screenshot of and wondered about was actually made.
  • Use this hub's child guides to go deep on each system: beginners · locations · power · boundary · mining · teleporters · terrain · glitch building.