Your first few minutes

Your first session in Star Citizen

A first session often feels slower than expected. This guide helps you get oriented, retrieve your ship and set a few simple goals.

At a glance

  • Do not rush: getting oriented in the city or station is your first objective.
  • Finding an ASOP terminal, retrieving your ship and reaching its hangar are essential skills before any mission.
  • Practise taking off and landing before accepting risky contracts.

From first login to your hangar

  1. Create your character in LIVE and choose the starting location shown. Compare cities before confirming; menu labels can change with patches.
  2. Get up in your habitation and find the elevator. The default F key interacts with doors and panels; custom bindings take precedence.
  3. Go down to the lobby and follow spaceport signs. New Babbage uses the Metroloop and Area18 uses CityFlight; check the vehicle's destination.
  4. Find an ASOP terminal at the spaceport. Select your ship and use Retrieve or Deliver as shown. A Claim can involve a waiting period.
  5. Note the assigned hangar number. Select that hangar in the elevator and wait for its doors to open fully.
  6. Open the ramp or entry, board and sit in the pilot seat. Check your current Flight Ready binding or use the cockpit controls to power the ship.
  7. Request departure clearance through the displayed ATC contact. Lift off only once the hangar doors are fully open and leave slowly.
  8. Choose a nearby station first. Request landing, note the assigned hangar and practise a safe return before accepting a contract.

Check keys under Options → Keybindings; defaults do not apply to every custom profile.

Official New Babbage directions

ASOP or hangar not responding? Use the version-specific troubleshooting guide. · Your first mission, step by step

Wake up and get oriented

You will usually begin in a hab room. From there, learn the routes, lifts, signs and transport links. That may sound mundane, but it is central to Star Citizen.

Read the signs, follow directions to the spaceport and take your time. Rushing usually costs more time than it saves.

Retrieve your ship at an ASOP terminal

Use an ASOP terminal to retrieve your ship. It will assign a hangar or pad; remember the number so you can find it easily.

If the ship is unavailable, you may need to file a claim and wait. That is a normal game mechanic, not necessarily a bug.

  • Find the spaceport.
  • Use an ASOP terminal.
  • Remember the hangar or pad number.
  • Board the ship and take off carefully.

Take off and land

Before take-off, check the ship, power, controls and surroundings. Leave the hangar slowly and keep clear of walls, doors and other players.

Use the same approach when landing: go slowly and leave yourself room. A clean take-off and safe landing are genuine progress.

First simple objectives

Set small goals: take off, reach a station, land safely and review a delivery mission. It may sound modest, but it prevents frustration later.

Once those basics feel comfortable, continue to the mission guide and choose a beginner-friendly activity.