SOS Signals
Getting stranded
You are stranded when all of the following are true:
- You are outside a starter system
- You have less than 10 fuel units
- You have no Warp Capsules, normal or enhanced
While stranded, the exploring bar shows an SOS warning. Opening it gives you two options: send an SOS signal or pay for a teleport.
Sending a signal
Sending a signal is free. It stays open for one hour on the system where you are, and it can't be cancelled.
- The goal of the signal is a full tank, premium tank size included.
- It is announced in the Help channel with a link to your system.
- You can only have one signal open at a time. There is no waiting time between one signal and the next.
While it is open, the SOS warning shows the fuel collected, how many players helped and the time left.
Donating fuel
Open SOS Signals from the exploring bar to see every open signal, with the fuel collected and the time left. The ones about to close are listed first.
Press Donate to send 10 fuel from your own tank. You don't need to travel: the fuel goes straight into the signal.
- You can donate once per signal, and never to your own.
- You can't donate if it would leave you under 10 fuel, unless you are in a starter system or carry a warp capsule.
- A signal can't take more fuel than its goal.
Every donation shows up in your logs.
How a signal ends
The fuel collected is delivered to the stranded player when the signal closes, never above a full tank. A signal closes in one of three ways:
| How it closes | What happens |
|---|---|
| The tank fills up | You get a full tank and keep exploring from where you are. One of the players who donated, drawn at random, wins a mystery box |
| The hour runs out | You get the fuel collected so far, even if nobody donated, plus a free trip to the nearest starter system |
| You pay for the teleport | You get the fuel collected so far and travel to the nearest starter system. There is no mystery box draw |
Every donor has the same chance in the draw. The mystery box holds credits scaled to the winner's exploring level, plus one common and one rare resource scaled to their gathering level.
Getting back to a starter system
- Paid teleport. Costs 1,000,000 credits and is only available while you are stranded, with or without an open signal.
- Free trip. Unlocked when your signal runs its full hour. It doesn't matter how much fuel you received. Only your latest signal counts, so sending a new one before using it gives the free trip up.
Neither option refills your tank.
TL;DR:
- Stranded means outside a starter system, under 10 fuel and no warp capsules.
- Sending an SOS signal is free, lasts one hour and can't be cancelled.
- Donate 10 fuel to other players' signals from the SOS Signals list, no travel needed.
- A filled signal pays a mystery box to one random donor.
- When the hour runs out you keep the fuel collected and get a free trip to a starter system.