Part of the series:

No Man's Sky Expeditions Guide Hub: Start here for the expeditions overview.

No Man's Sky Expedition Rewards & How to Redeem Them: Step-by-step guide to claiming rewards on your main save.

No Man's Sky Game Modes & Difficulty Settings Explained: Understand how Expeditions fit alongside Normal, Survival, and Relaxed modes.

Quick Answer

Expeditions are time-limited community events in No Man's Sky, typically running for several weeks each (duration varies by expedition).
Every player starts from the same shared system and works through a series of phases and milestones together.
You can join via a fresh save (from the main menu) or through the Expedition Terminus in the Space Anomaly on an existing save.
Completing milestones and phases earns exclusive rewards (ships, cosmetics, base parts, titles) unavailable anywhere else.
Cosmetic rewards are account-wide: once unlocked, claim them on any save from the Quicksilver Synthesis Companion in the Space Anomaly.
At the end, you can transfer items back to your main save or convert your expedition save into a normal game.
Missing an expedition isn't permanent doom. Hello Games occasionally reruns past expeditions during holiday periods.

Overview

Introduced in the Expeditions Update in 2021, Community Expeditions have become among the most beloved recurring features in No Man's Sky. Every few weeks, Hello Games launches a new themed adventure: players all start in the same solar system, tackle the same objectives, and race (or stroll) toward the same finish line. The experience is deliberately social. Rendezvous points are flooded with other travelers' bases and you can see fellow explorers everywhere you go.

Expeditions serve two purposes. First, they act as a structured progression trail that gives even veteran players fresh objectives and a reason to play differently. Second, they deliver cosmetic rewards and gear that simply cannot be obtained in the base game. If you care at all about ship skins, companion eggs, exclusive décor, or unique titles, Expeditions are worth your time.

They're also excellent for newcomers. Because everyone starts from scratch (or near scratch), a fresh expedition save levels the playing field, and the milestone structure effectively teaches you core game systems (resource gathering, base building, hyperdrive warping) through gameplay rather than a tutorial. If you're still finding your footing, the No Man's Sky Beginner's Guide pairs well with your first expedition run.

How to Start an Expedition

Option 1: Create a New Save

From the main menu, select New Game and look for Community Expedition in the list of modes. This drops you into a fresh save with basic starting gear at the shared expedition origin system. It's the cleanest entry point and removes any temptation to lean on overpowered equipment from your main save.

Note: if you start this way, most items and currencies stay on the expedition save. See the rewards section below for what you can and cannot carry back.

Option 2: Join via an Existing Save

If you'd rather not start completely from scratch:

Load your main save and warp to the Space Anomaly (summon it from any system with the quick menu).
Head behind the central Nexus hub to find the Expedition Terminus.
Interact with the Terminus to begin the current expedition.

This converts your existing save into an expedition save temporarily. You can bring up to eight technology upgrades and up to 24 resources or items with you into the expedition. Note that these items aren't immediately accessible: warp once after entering the expedition, then summon the Anomaly again to collect them from the Terminus. The Terminus also lets you copy your current starship or multi-tool into the expedition for a Nanite fee.

When the expedition ends (or when you complete it), your save reverts to its normal state and you can use the Terminus to transfer items back.

How Expeditions Are Structured

Phases

Each expedition is divided into a series of phases: the exact number varies per expedition, with most falling somewhere between four and five. Phases unlock sequentially. You can't jump ahead without completing the previous one, and each phase ends with a Rendezvous Point, a specific location on a planet that all players must physically reach to mark phase completion.

Think of the Rendezvous as a community checkpoint. When you arrive, you'll usually find dozens of player-built bases, beacons, and shortcuts left by travelers ahead of you. These can be incredibly useful for navigation.

Milestones

Within each phase, you'll find a set of milestones: individual objectives that can be completed in any order. Examples include:

Milestone Type	Example Task
Exploration	Visit a specific number of star systems
Survival	Survive a certain number of planetary hazard events
Combat	Defeat a target number of Sentinels
Economy	Earn a set amount of Units from trading
Construction	Build specific base components
Discovery	Scan a required number of fauna or flora species

Milestones each grant their own reward (nanites, resources, blueprints, or cosmetic unlocks), and completing all milestones in a phase unlocks the phase reward: usually something more substantial like a ship skin, companion egg, or decorative item.

Important: Claim your milestone rewards as you go. Some rewards include blueprints you'll need for later milestones. Leaving them uncollected can stall your progress.

The Final Reward

Completing all phases and their milestones unlocks a final expedition-wide reward. These capstone prizes tend to be the most impressive items: exclusive ship designs, rare titles, or unique companion creatures. This is the main reason seasoned players push for full completion rather than stopping early.

Rewards: What You Get and How to Keep It

Account-Wide Cosmetics

The flagship rewards from expeditions (exotic ship appearances, companion eggs, decorative items, helmets, titles) are account-wide unlocks. Once you've earned them on your expedition save, you can claim them for free on any save in any game mode by visiting the Quicksilver Synthesis Companion at the Space Anomaly. You don't need to re-earn them per save.

This is among the most misunderstood mechanics: even if your expedition save is deleted, those cosmetic rewards stay on your account permanently.

Item Transfers

Physical items (resources, packaged technology, salvaged data) don't transfer automatically. Before ending your expedition, visit the Expedition Terminus and load up the transfer slots with whatever you want to bring back (up to the slot limits). Anything left in your inventory that isn't transferred gets converted into units or nanites.

If you started from an existing save: Units, Nanites, and Quicksilver earned during the expedition transfer back to your main save automatically when the expedition ends.

If you started from a new save: Quicksilver does not carry over automatically. Spend any remaining Quicksilver at the Synthesis Companion before ending the expedition, or it will be lost.

What won't transfer in either case: freighters, frigates, companion bonds and alien words learned, and unpackaged starships.

For a full breakdown of exactly what moves and what stays, see the dedicated Expedition Rewards & How to Redeem Them guide.

Tips for Getting the Most from an Expedition

Read all phases before you start moving. Milestones across different phases often overlap, and you can knock out multiple objectives in a single trip if you plan your route. Wandering aimlessly is the single biggest time-waster in an expedition run.

Visit space stations early and often. Each station you dock at creates a teleport waypoint. Establishing these early gives you a fast-travel network across the expedition map, which becomes invaluable when backtracking for missed milestones.

Don't install every module you find. Selling unwanted technology upgrades for Nanites is almost always more valuable than cluttering your slots. You'll want clean, focused loadouts. Check the best technology upgrades guide for what's actually worth installing.

Watch the deadline. Expedition durations vary: some run roughly six weeks, others are shorter. Starting with very little time remaining makes full completion very difficult, especially if you have limited play sessions. Check the official No Man's Sky site or in-game expedition menu for the exact end date.

Don't stress about starting from nothing. The shared starting point means the in-game economy around the origin system is usually well stocked. Other players leave resources, base ingredients, and helpful notes behind. The expedition community is notably generous.

After the Expedition Ends

When an expedition concludes, you have two choices for that save file:

Convert to Normal Mode: Keep your expedition progress, ship, base, and items and continue playing in the standard universe.
Delete the Save: If you only wanted the account-wide rewards, there's no penalty for deleting the expedition save once you've claimed them.

Hello Games also occasionally runs holiday reruns of past expeditions, giving players who missed the original a second chance at older rewards. These reruns are announced on the official No Man's Sky website and social channels, so it's worth checking if you missed something you really wanted.

Which Expeditions Have Run

The expedition archive lists past expeditions and explains how reruns are announced.

FAQ

Do I need to finish the story before doing an Expedition?

No. Expeditions are a self-contained mode. You start fresh (or near-fresh) regardless of how far you've progressed in the main game. That said, if you're completely new, a quick read of the early game checklist will help you understand basic mechanics before diving in.

Can I play an Expedition with friends?

Yes. No Man's Sky supports multiplayer in expeditions the same way it does in any other mode. You can meet up with friends at any point, though each player still needs to complete their own milestones. There's no shared progress tracker. Rendezvous points are great meeting spots.

What happens if I miss an Expedition?

The specific time-limited rewards are gone for that window. However, Hello Games does rerun past expeditions periodically, particularly during the holiday season at the end of the year. Some exclusive items never return, which is why active players try not to skip expeditions entirely.

Can I earn Quicksilver in an Expedition?

Yes, but how it transfers depends on how you started. If you joined from an existing save, Quicksilver transfers back automatically. If you started a brand new save, Quicksilver does not carry over. Spend it at the Synthesis Companion before ending your expedition. For more on this currency, see the Quicksilver guide.

Is it better to use a new save or my main save for Expeditions?

Both work. A new save is simpler and gives a purer "same starting conditions as everyone else" experience. Using your main save lets you bring resources and upgraded tech, which can speed up mid-expedition tasks, and also means your units, nanites, and quicksilver transfer back automatically. The main save approach is better for players who've already completed a few expeditions and know what they're doing.

What are Rendezvous Points exactly?

Rendezvous Points are specific planetary locations, marked by an Expedition Patch icon on your HUD, that you must physically travel to in order to complete a phase. They function as community gathering spots, and you'll typically find large clusters of player bases nearby. Use your Analysis Visor to locate the final marker once you're on the right planet.

Key Takeaways

Expeditions are time-limited, themed community events where all players share the same starting system and objectives.
Each expedition is divided into a series of phases (typically four to five), each with multiple milestones and a Rendezvous Point to reach.
Start from a new game (Main Menu → Community Expedition) or an existing save (Space Anomaly → Expedition Terminus).
Claim milestone rewards immediately. Some unlock blueprints required for later objectives.
Account-wide cosmetic rewards (ships, cosmetics, titles) are redeemable forever via the Quicksilver Synthesis Companion, even after the expedition ends.
Physical items must be manually placed in transfer slots before ending your expedition; anything left over is converted to units or nanites.
If you started from a new save, spend your Quicksilver before ending the expedition. It does not auto-transfer the way it does from an existing save.
Plan your route across all phases from the beginning to avoid unnecessary backtracking.
Missed an expedition? Check for holiday reruns. Hello Games regularly brings back past expeditions for a limited window.

No Man's Sky Expeditions Guide: What They Are & How to Play