Ostranauts Errors & Fixes — 'Not Working' Problems Solved
✔ Last checked: 2026-08-12
Nine times out of ten, “X not working” in Ostranauts is one of three things: no power on that circuit (press L), physics behaving realistically (cold rooms, dead batteries), or a crew-AI bug that a June–July 2026 patch already fixed. Work the table below before assuming the game is broken.
Symptom → cause → fix
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Crew / autotask not working | Permissions, schedule, or pre-patch AI bugs | Update the game; check Roster app schedules and permissions; note crew idling during free time became intended behavior (v0.15.1.17) |
| Sleep not working (full guide) | Interruptions, noise, needs conflicts | Real bed in a pressurized room, reasonable temperature; a bug where NPC sleep trouble paused the game constantly was fixed v0.15.1.15 |
| Heater not working | Unpowered, or no thermostat | L overlay to confirm power; wire heater + thermostat; see life support |
| Pump “not working” | Room too cold — low pressure at correct mass | Heat the room; the pump is fine |
| Battery not working | Charger full, battery drained | Swap manually; AI battery handling fixed/improved v0.15.1.14–.15 |
| EVA suit no charge / no O2 | Dead suit battery or empty O2 bottle | Swap battery and bottle; since v0.15.1.20 crew AI replaces empty O2 bottles themselves |
| Haul orders ignored | No target zone, or zone full | Draw a proper zone; hauling AI stacking bugs fixed v0.15.1.14 |
| Wrong/duplicate docking fees | Old bug | Fixed v0.15.1.16 — fees also now stop repeating after undock |
| Random pausing | Old bug (NPC sleep/study events) | Fixed v0.15.1.15 |
| Hang or crash on quit after saving | Old bug | Fixed v0.15.1.6 |
| Tracking alarm won’t stop on station | Old bug | Fixed v0.15.1.17 |
| Steam Cloud weirdness | Cloud full or save mid-download | Load UI now warns (v0.15.1.6); free cloud space, wait out downloads |
The universal first steps
- Update. The gap between “January 2026 build” and “1.0” is dozens of AI and stability fixes — the patch tracker shows what landed when.
- Verify local files in Steam if crashes persist on 1.0.
- Check the L (power) and G (gas) overlays before blaming any device.
- Report what’s left on the official forums/Discord — unmodded reproduction preferred if you run mods.
Still stuck on a crew-shaped problem specifically? The crew guide covers what the AI will and won’t do for you at 1.0.
FAQ
Why is my crew not working?
Usually roster permissions, schedule (free time = idling is intended), or a pre-patch AI bug. The July 2026 patches (v0.15.1.6 through .20) fixed a long list of AI paralysis cases — update first, then check the Roster app.
Why is my heater or pump 'not working'?
Check power with the L overlay first. If powered, remember cold gas reads as low pressure — a working pump in a freezing room looks broken. Heater on a thermostat fixes the room; the pump was never broken.
Why won't my EVA suit charge?
Suits run on swappable batteries — charge or swap the battery rather than 'the suit,' and check the charger has power and a free slot. A battery-swap AI bug was fixed in v0.15.1.15.
The game hangs when quitting after a save — fixed?
Yes, that specific hang/crash-on-quit was fixed in v0.15.1.6 (July 3, 2026). If you still see it on 1.0, verify local files and check your save folder isn't syncing mid-write.