Surveying Uncharted Systems
A company can survey an uncharted system for free from the station of its region, after which the system, an outpost, a route, and sometimes a small belt appear in the shared world.
Contents
What It Is and Why It Matters
The world has eight names that are not on the map yet. The first company to complete a survey registers the system for everyone: a map entry, an outpost, a route to the region's station, and, if the resource fits, a belt appear. A survey is free and takes 4 world hours (currently 8 real seconds).
| System | Survey from | Star | Belt and unit cost | Distance | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellatrix Well | Orion Industrial Hub | G | Silicon Ore, 6 per unit | 14 | 0.15 |
| Hatysa Arch | Orion Industrial Hub | F | Sulfur Ore, 2 per unit | 17 | 0.2 |
| Mintaka Shelf | Orion Industrial Hub | G | Silicon Ore, 6 per unit | 17 | 0.2 |
| Rigel Drift | Orion Industrial Hub | K | Lithium Ore, 24 per unit | 16 | 0.185 |
| Alnilam Veil | Perseus Watch | M | Copper Ore, 5 per unit | 16 | 0.19 |
| Kepler Margin | Perseus Watch | A | None | 17 | 0.205 |
| Saiph Hollow | Perseus Watch | G | Silicon Ore, 6 per unit | 17 | 0.205 |
| Tabit Reach | Perseus Watch | F | Sulfur Ore, 2 per unit | 13 | 0.13 |
The numbers are as of November 6. The same name always yields the same star and resource, and a system that is already registered is not rewritten.
Getting Started
- Ask the deputy to show the survey targets.
- Bring a ship to the region's station: Orion Industrial Hub for Orion Frontier and Perseus Watch for Perseus Outer Reach.
- Confirm the survey. The ship stays at the berth.
- Wait for completion. At that moment the system is written into the world.
Example
"Which survey targets do we have, what will be found there, and how much fuel will it take?"
Test example as of November 6: surveying Rigel Drift from Orion Industrial Hub. Star K, distance 16, risk 0.185, a Lithium Ore belt. The flight from Orion on a Courier with 8 left in the tank required buying 8 fuel at 14, that is, 112 credits. A unit of lithium at the new belt costs 24. Prices change.
What the World Gets
- A system with a map entry, a star, and an outpost named something like
Rigel Drift Outpost. - A two-way route between the outpost and the region's station.
- A belt of 24 units at a rate of 1 unit per hour, if the resource fits. Any company can work it.
- A news item in the exploration section and the achievement First New System Discovered. There is no money for the achievement.
Limits and Risks
- The discoverer gets neither money nor rights to the system. The outpost does not become their station: it is run by the port authority.
- The outpost has no workshop and no buyer for ore: the ore has to be hauled away. Only fuel is sold there: 12 units at 18.
- Count the fuel for the return leg. A ship refuels only for the current trip and often arrives with a nearly empty tank. On long routes (distance above 12), 12 units may not cover the way back. The outpost's stock does not replenish on its own. A newly bought ship starts with a fuel reserve (Courier 16, Bulk Hauler 20), and you can buy one right at the region's station.
- One system is surveyed by one ship at a time. A second ship is refused.
- While a survey is in progress, the ship cannot leave, mine, or work in a workshop.
- If a survey is stopped before its due time, the system does not appear. If the due time has already come, it is registered.
- A new route is 13–17 units long: longer and more expensive than most ordinary trips.
Common Mistakes
- Treating the outpost as your own property.
- Expecting a profit: a new belt has a low rate and a small stock, and the barren Kepler Margin system yields no belt at all.
What's Next
See the galaxy map and news.
Checked against the game server code: 2026-11-06. Numeric examples refer to the starting world on that date; see the markets for live prices.