Ostranauts Handbook

Ostranauts Salvage Guide — Tools, Targets, Staying Legal

✔ Last checked: 2026-08-04

Good salvage is a value-per-tile calculation: transponders, intake regulators, RCS thrusters, scrubbers and anything fusion-related pay for whole trips, while furniture barely pays for the airlock cycle. The Boneyard’s derelicts can be stripped to nothing (the main docking airlock is the one part that can’t be removed), so the skill is choosing, not finding.

Tools: five jobs, not five brands

Job Options
Cut structure Horang “PlastHak” hacksaw, Gott angle grinder, Weber ‘Lance’ laser torch
Weld / repair Halvorson friction stir welder, Weber ‘Lance’
Solder electronics Gott soldering iron, Weber ‘Lance’
Unscrew Horang “PlaScrew”, Gott power drill
Pry Weber ‘Prize’ crowbar

Check an item’s tooltip before uninstalling — it names the tool the job needs. The Lance covering three jobs is why veterans hunt one early.

What to take (wiki-era prices, re-verifying for 1.0)

  • Polaris VDX-01 transponder/IFF — around $29,000, fragile, handle like glass.
  • Hydra intake regulators — around $32,000 for a 4-tile footprint.
  • Halvorson RCS thruster assemblies — roughly $5,500 each and common: the bread-and-butter haul.
  • Fusion reactor parts and core pumps — thousands each, also the path to your own reactor.
  • AtmoScrubbers — $4,000–14,000 range.
  • Pocketables: PDAs, EVA suits, meds from lockers and corpses.

Skip chairs and dining tables (double-digit values) unless you’re furnishing a high-value room.

A salvage permit ($5,000 / 24 hours — details on the licenses page) keeps Nnamdi Azikiwe Security Services off your back; they scan permits via transponder at range, and the documented fine is ~$15,000. On the survival side: derelicts are cold, dark and airless by default, so treat every boarding as an EVA — suit checklist here.

Sell high-value goods at the License Kiosk, bulk scrap at the Scrap Kiosk, and the questionable stuff to the Fixer or Broker. When a wreck looks better whole than in pieces, that’s ship flipping — a different business with better margins.

FAQ

What tools do I need for salvaging?

Cover five jobs: cutting (hacksaw, angle grinder or laser torch), welding (friction stir welder), soldering (soldering iron), unscrewing (screwdriver or power drill) and prying (crowbar). The Weber 'Lance' laser torch covers cutting, welding and soldering in one tool.

What's the most valuable salvage?

Wiki-era standouts: Polaris VDX-01 transponders, Hydra intake regulators, fusion reactor parts, AtmoScrubbers, and the ever-reliable Halvorson RCS thruster assemblies. Exact 1.0 prices are being re-verified.

Can you salvage without a license?

You can, illegally. Permits are tied to your ship's transponder and scanned at range, and the wiki-documented fine is around $15,000 — three times the license cost. See our licenses page.

Should I repair items before selling?

The official starting guide recommends repairing to at least 80% condition for meaningfully better prices — weigh repair time and welder charge against the bump.