No Man's Sky Derelict Freighter Guide

Part of the Freighters & Fleet series:

• No Man's Sky Freighters Guide Hub: Start here.
• How to Get Nanites Fast: Turn your derelict loot into upgrade currency.

Quick Answer

• Derelict freighters are abandoned, drifting capital ships you board and loot; each one is a self-contained dungeon full of valuables and hazards.
• You reach them with an Emergency Signal Scanner, deployed in open space and followed with your pulse drive to the wreck.
• You get one free Emergency Signal Scanner per week from Iteration: Helios on the Space Anomaly; buy extra copies from the Scrap Dealer at any space station for units at an escalating price that resets each week.
• Inside you fight through hazardous atmosphere, sealed doors, and hostile encounters while a toxic or radiation meter steadily fills.
• Rewards include upgrade modules, storage-crate valuables, high-value alien words, and Crew Manifests that convert into Tainted Metal, which refines into Nanites at a 1:2 ratio.
• You can also sell the fully salvaged derelict to the Scrap Dealer for a lump units payout.
• Running the same layout repeatedly, ideally in a group, is a reliable Nanite and unit farm once you know the route.

Overview

A derelict freighter is a wrecked capital ship left drifting in space after its crew met a bad end. Boarding one is part looting run, part horror-movie corridor crawl: the lights flicker, the atmosphere is toxic, doors are sealed until you power them, and something usually reacts to your presence before you reach the bridge. In return for the tension you walk out with upgrade modules, salvaged tech, valuable trade goods, and the raw materials for a strong Nanite income.

The whole loop runs through two figures on the Space Anomaly and the space station. Iteration: Helios hands out one free scanner a week, the Scrap Dealer sells you more and later buys back what you salvage. Once you understand that supply chain and the interior hazards, derelicts become a repeatable, high-value activity rather than a one-off curiosity. If you already own a capital ship, this pairs naturally with the rest of your fleet play in the Freighters Guide Hub.

Getting an Emergency Signal Scanner

The Emergency Signal Scanner is the key item. Deploying one in space reveals the coordinates of a nearby derelict freighter, and there are two ways to keep a stock of them.

The free weekly scanner. Fly to the Space Anomaly and speak with Iteration: Helios, the traveller who runs the derelict service near the back of the ship. Once per week (the timer resets on the same schedule as the game's other weekly content), Helios gives you a free Emergency Signal Scanner and shares the location of a fresh derelict. This is the no-cost option and the one most players use as their baseline.

Buying extras from the Scrap Dealer. Every space station has a Scrap Dealer terminal, usually tucked to the side of the main hall. Alongside buying and selling salvage, the Scrap Dealer sells additional Emergency Signal Scanners for units. The catch is that the price climbs with every scanner you buy in a given week, so your second costs more than your first, your third more than your second, and so on. That escalating cost resets each week, so a practical rhythm is to buy a handful early in the week and let the price fall back to its floor at reset. If you want context on how those unit costs fit your budget, the best money-making methods by game stage guide covers where the units come from.

Using the Scanner

Once you have a scanner, the run itself is short to set up:

1. Fly out into open space in the system, away from planets and stations.
2. Open your inventory and deploy the Emergency Signal Scanner like any other deployable technology. It pings a derelict signal on your HUD.
3. Point your ship at the marker and engage the pulse drive. The derelict is a normal pulse-travel distance away, appearing as a dark, damaged capital ship hanging in space.
4. Approach the wreck and fly into its open hangar to land inside.

There is a second, cheaper route: if you are playing with others, another player can share the coordinates of a derelict they have found. Accepting a shared location drops you at the same wreck without spending a scanner of your own, which is the backbone of group farming (more on that below).

Surviving the Interior

The inside of a derelict is a linear gauntlet from the hangar to the far end of the ship, and the environment is actively trying to kill you.

• Hazardous atmosphere. From the moment you step out of your ship, a toxic or radiation hazard meter begins to fill. Your hazard protection drains the whole time you are aboard, so this is a race against a clock, not a leisurely explore.
• Sealed doors. Progress is blocked by locked bulkheads. You open each one by finding and activating the nearby control panel; some panels are in plain sight, others sit around a corner or behind a container you have to clear first.
• Environmental damage. Beyond the ambient hazard, expect pockets of fire, electrified floor sections, and gas vents that spike your damage if you linger in the wrong spot.
• Hostile encounters. Most derelicts throw a threat at you partway through, from swarming creatures to whatever was feeding on the dead crew. Keep your multi-tool ready and your shields topped up.

The single most important habit is do not dawdle. The toxic buildup stacks the longer you stay, so the difference between a clean run and a near-death scramble is usually how quickly you move between control panels and loot crates. Bring solid shield and hazard tech: a fully upgraded hazard protection module, a charged shield, and a stack of the relevant recharge resources (Sodium for hazard, ferrite or oxygen as needed). If the combat side worries you, the Sentinels combat guide covers the weapon and shield upgrades that carry over cleanly to derelict monsters.

The Loot

Everything you break open, unlock, or pull off a wall contributes to the payout. The valuables fall into a few clear categories.

A few of these deserve extra detail. Upgrade modules are the headline draw, since a good haul can re-roll your ship or multi-tool loadout toward S-class without touching a merchant; see the freighter upgrades and S-class guide for how classes and stats interact. Crew Manifests are the Nanite engine: you carry them back to any Scrap Dealer, who converts them into Tainted Metal. Run that Tainted Metal through a refiner and it becomes Nanites at a 1:2 ratio, so a good stack of manifests turns into a meaningful pile of upgrade currency. Because that pipeline is so consistent, derelicts sit near the top of most Nanite farms; the dedicated Nanites guide puts the numbers next to the other methods.

Finally, once you have stripped a derelict you can sell the salvaged wreck itself to the Scrap Dealer for a units payout, closing the loop on a single run: scanner in, loot and manifests out, wreck sold at the end.

Efficient Farming Tips

• Group up. Because one player's scanner can pull an entire fireteam into the same derelict, a coordinated group only spends one scanner per wreck while everyone loots. Split the control panels between players to clear doors faster and beat the hazard timer.
• Run the same layout. Derelicts reuse a set of interior layouts. Once your group learns a route, everyone knows where the panels, crates, and reward room sit, and clears run out to a few efficient minutes each.
• Bank scanners weekly. Grab the free Helios scanner every week and top up from the Scrap Dealer early, before the escalating price bites.
• Carry refiner capacity. Keep a portable refiner (or a base refiner) ready so Tainted Metal becomes Nanites the moment you dock, rather than clogging your inventory.
• Pair with fleet income. Derelicts slot neatly alongside passive earnings from your frigates; the frigate fleet and expeditions guide covers that side of the freighter economy.

FAQ

How do I find derelict freighters?

You deploy an Emergency Signal Scanner in open space, then follow the signal with your pulse drive to the drifting wreck. You get one free scanner a week from Iteration: Helios on the Space Anomaly, and you can buy more from the Scrap Dealer at any space station. Alternatively, accept a shared coordinate from another player to skip using a scanner of your own.

How many can I do per week?

There is no hard cap. The one free weekly scanner from Helios sets a comfortable baseline, but you can run as many derelicts as you are willing to fund by buying additional scanners from the Scrap Dealer. Since that price climbs with each purchase and resets weekly, most solo players do a handful per week; groups sharing a single coordinate can chain far more for the cost of one scanner.

Are they worth it?

Yes, especially as a Nanite source. A single run yields upgrade modules, sellable trade goods, alien words, and Crew Manifests that become Tainted Metal and then Nanites at a 1:2 ratio, plus a units payout for selling the salvaged wreck. Weighed against the free weekly scanner, the return is strong, and it scales hard in a group where one scanner loots everyone.

How do I survive the hazards?

Move fast and come prepared. A toxic or radiation meter fills the entire time you are aboard, so upgrade your hazard protection, keep your shields charged, and carry recharge resources like Sodium. Open sealed doors quickly by hitting the control panels, avoid standing in fire or electrified sections, and keep your multi-tool ready for the hostile encounter most derelicts spring on you partway through.

Do I keep the derelict freighter after looting it?

No. Derelicts are not freighters you can own or fly. You loot the interior and then sell the salvaged wreck to the Scrap Dealer for units. If you want an owned capital ship, that is a separate mechanic covered in the how to get a free freighter guide.

Key Takeaways

• Derelict freighters are lootable dungeon-wrecks reached with an Emergency Signal Scanner deployed in open space.
• Iteration: Helios on the Space Anomaly gives one free scanner per week; the Scrap Dealer sells extras at an escalating price that resets weekly.
• The interior is a timed hazard gauntlet: toxic or radiation buildup, sealed doors opened at control panels, and a hostile encounter, so bring shield and hazard tech and do not dawdle.
• Loot spans upgrade modules, storage-crate valuables, high-value alien words, and Crew Manifests.
• The Scrap Dealer converts Crew Manifests into Tainted Metal, which refines into Nanites at a 1:2 ratio, and will also buy the salvaged wreck for units.
• Sharing coordinates and running known layouts as a group is the most efficient way to farm Nanites and units from derelicts.