Conclusion
In the default start you begin on New Boston with 480,000 credits and a mortgage, and the local shipyard sells three ships: the Shuttle, the Star Barge and the Sparrow.
Combining the ship data with the job payment formula, the Shuttle stands out for making money early: it's the cheapest and has 6 bunks, and each passenger pays like 10 tons of cargo. The Star Barge carries the most cargo (50 tons), and the Sparrow is the fighter of the three.
The Three Starting Ships
| Ship | Category | Price (as sold) | Shields | Hull | Cargo | Crew / bunks | Free outfit space | Max speed | Accel. | Turning | Where sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shuttle | Transport | 338,000 | 500 | 600 | 20 | 1 / 6 | 8 | 802.5 | 451.4 | 172.5 | Achernar, Aldebaran, Aldhibain, Alheka +22 more |
| Star Barge | Light Freighter | 395,000 | 600 | 1,000 | 50 | 1 / 3 | 11 | 369.4 | 245.0 | 86.8 | Achernar, Aldebaran, Aldhibain, Alhena +19 more |
| Sparrow | Interceptor | 442,000 | 1,400 | 300 | 15 | 1 / 3 | 4 | 1373.7 | 421.0 | 148.5 | Achernar, Aldebaran, Aldhibain, Alhena +18 more |
Price includes the ship's standard outfits. Speed, acceleration and turning use the game's own formulas (ShipInfoDisplay.cpp) with the standard outfits and an empty hold. Numbers come from the game's data files at the commit of 2026-10-03, for the galaxy as it is at the start of a new game (story events can change shops and governments).
Which One Fits Which Plan
| Ship | Strength | Best early use |
|---|---|---|
| Shuttle | Cheapest; 6 bunks with 1 crew; fast | Passenger jobs — the best pay per space in the data |
| Star Barge | 50 tons of cargo, sturdy hull (1,000) | Bulk cargo jobs and trading |
| Sparrow | Fastest (max speed 1373.7), 1,400 shields | Combat and bounties; little cargo (15 tons) |
First Steps
- 1Pick a ship based on the plan above. If you're unsure, the data favors the Shuttle for steady income.
- 2Take jobs from the job board that go the same direction — passengers if you have spare bunks.
- 3Fill spare cargo space with a commodity that sells higher at your destination. See Making Money.
- 4Save up for a bigger ship rather than many small outfits; see Ships for prices and where each is sold.
FAQ
Can I change ships later?
Yes — sell or keep your first ship and buy another at any shipyard that sells it.
Why does the Shuttle earn so much?
Passenger jobs pay 150 × (jumps + 1) × 10 per passenger plus 2,000 per job, so each spare bunk is worth 10 tons of cargo space.
Is the Sparrow a bad choice?
Not bad — it's the fighter. It just carries little, so it's slower at the early money-making jobs.