Derelicts are the clearest expression of Ostranauts’ salvage loop: a tempting object in space, a ship and crew that must reach it, and a return that still has to pay for the risk. The official Steam page describes salvaging derelicts in a boneyard and connects that work to upgrades, debt, fuel, air, and food. This guide turns those high-level facts into an approach and recovery method. It does not promise a fixed target list or payout without a dated current-game observation.
Pick the target by risk
Before approaching, name the part, information, or job result you want. Then ask what would make the trip a loss: fuel, damage, time, an unreachable room, crew needs, or cargo that cannot be moved. A high-value object is not automatically the best first target. A modest recovery that confirms one mechanic can improve the ship and your understanding at the same time.
Record the save, branch, version, and any mod. The exact condition of a derelict may vary, and the latest official notice indicates that the game continues to receive fixes. A future reader needs to know whether your route describes 1.0, v1.0.0.9, or an older Early Access state.
Control the approach
The store page describes Newtonian flight, so treat a derelict approach as relative motion rather than a simple waypoint. Use the current keybinding menu for exact controls. Accelerate only while you understand the direction of travel, reduce momentum before the intended connection, and keep enough space to back away. If the target becomes visually or mechanically unclear, abort and stabilize.
Keep a clean save before the first unfamiliar approach. Do not add a ship redesign or Workshop item to the same experiment. If a collision or failed interaction occurs, write down whether alignment, momentum, fuel, or an unavailable action was responsible. That observation is a better guide seed than a universal speed number with no context.
Confirm access before working
Once you are near a target, inspect the route and the crew member assigned to the work. The official description names oxygen, food, water, intimacy, and security as crew needs. A derelict task can therefore be unsafe even when the object itself is valuable. Keep a path back to the home ship, identify the place where the crew member can stabilize, and avoid sending everyone into an unknown space.
If an interaction is unavailable, inspect the current state before forcing the route. It may be a missing prerequisite, a blocked path, a part condition, or a version-specific UI change. Do one corrective action, observe, and record. Exact boarding steps should be documented from the live game rather than guessed from a generic space-game pattern.
Recover cargo deliberately
When you find a useful item, decide whether it repairs the current ship, belongs in storage, or should be sold or retained for a later plan. Move one item at a time when the route is uncertain. Check that the part has not blocked a door, changed a work path, or created a new power or pressure concern. A recovered part only becomes value when it survives the trip home and can be used.
For a bounty or job, copy the current contract wording and date into your notes. The official description supports bounty-style work at a high level, but it does not establish every target condition or payment. Keep those details separate from the enduring salvage method.
Leave before the run compounds
The best recovery decision can be to stop. If air, fuel, crew needs, cargo access, or flight control becomes uncertain, take the smallest safe action and return. Do not keep working because the target is almost complete. A clear exit condition—cargo secured, crew stable, route clear, and enough movement capacity—gives a guide a practical endpoint without claiming a hidden numeric threshold.
Sources
Official Store page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1022980/Ostranauts/ . It supports derelict salvage, fuel, air, food, ship upgrades, and Newtonian flight at a high level. Exact boarding controls, loot, target condition, payout, and collision behavior require current in-game verification. Checked 2026-08-11 UTC.