Expeditions Explained — Structure and Claiming Rewards
An Expedition is a time-limited community event. Everyone starts from the same point in the universe under the same conditions and works through a fixed set of goals, which makes it a very different shape of play from ordinary free-roam exploration. This page covers the skeleton of how one works.
Starting conditions
- Every player starts on the same planet. Your ship, multi-tool, appearance, and starting technology are randomised — but that randomised set is the same for everyone.
- There is no tutorial, and the Artemis story does not begin automatically.
- Difficulty, hazards, and costs match Normal mode.
- Expeditions used to require a brand-new save. Now you can also start one from your existing main save via the Expedition terminal on the Space Anomaly, which lets you bring across some items and technologies plus a ship and a multi-tool. (The exact carry-over limits are unverified.)
How progress is structured
An Expedition has three layers: milestones → phases → full completion.
| Unit | What it is | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Milestone | An individual goal. Can be completed in any order | Supplies to help you along, plus a unique patch |
| Phase | A group of milestones | Clearing every milestone in a phase unlocks one exclusive reward |
| Completion | All phases done | One additional reward |
- Pin a milestone from the Expedition page to get targeted guidance toward it.
- Some milestones require visiting a Rendezvous Point — a fixed location in the galaxy you must check in at to finish the Expedition. Other travellers gather there, and communal bases often spring up.
- Some milestones award inventory slots. Claim them immediately, or hold the token and apply it at an Exosuit Upgrade Terminal on a space station.
When the timer runs out
- No further rewards can be earned. But the save isn’t lost — it converts to a Normal mode save and you can keep playing it.
- Anything you already unlocked can be re-claimed for free on any other save from the Quicksilver Synthesis Companion on the Space Anomaly. That covers your current main save and any save you create in the future.
So there’s no reason to cling to the Expedition save for the sake of its rewards. Unlock them, then pull them into whichever save you actually play.
How often they run
- Roughly four per year, each with its own duration and length.
- Around the end of the year, that year’s Expeditions come back as Redux runs — shorter windows, but easier to finish, which makes them a good chance to pick up rewards you missed.
- A Redux isn’t a new Expedition, so it can only be started from the Expedition terminal on the Space Anomaly.
FAQ
If I miss an Expedition, are its rewards gone forever? They can only be unlocked while that Expedition is live. That said, the year’s Expeditions usually return as Redux runs around the holidays, so there’s often a second chance. Older Expeditions have no guaranteed return.
Is it faster with a group? Exploration is faster, but milestone progress is tracked per save. Travel together, but each of you still has to meet the conditions.