Welcome, Commanders! Whether you’ve just made it past the on-foot intermission or skipped it entirely (no judgment here), you’re now standing in a space station, fresh from the tutorial or perhaps eager to dive in blind. You might have only the default Sidewinder and 250,000 credits to your name, but make no mistake — this is the beginning of a galaxy-spanning adventure. In this guide, we’ll walk through the absolute basics of what you’ll find at your first spaceport, what to do with your starter ship, and how to understand the key services, menus, and game systems that Elite Dangerous offers.

This is the starting ground, and getting familiar with it now will pay dividends later. Let’s begin.

Starting Loadout: The Humble Sidewinder

Most new players will begin with the Sidewinder, the most basic ship in the game. If you’ve purchased any DLC or bundles, you might have access to alternative starting ships — but this guide assumes the bare minimum. The Sidewinder offers light weaponry, modest cargo space, and a limited jump range (approximately 7.29–7.75 light-years depending on loadout). It’s not flashy, but it’s enough to begin carving your path in the galaxy.

Before heading out, you can personalize your ship’s name and ID plate, giving your journey that extra touch of character. Once confirmed, you’re dropped into the bustling environment of your starter station — in this case, HIP 9795.

Exploring the Station: Key Services and Where to Find Them

The spaceport is your first real hub. Stations vary in appearance, but they all offer a common suite of services:

• Mission Board: Your go-to location for missions, bounties, and reputation-building tasks. Missions come in various types — combat, delivery, support, and more — and are offered by local factions.
• Administrative Contacts: Here you’ll handle combat bonds, bounty claims, and legal matters (like paying off fines).
• Pioneer Supplies: This is your gear shop for on-foot content. It offers suits, weapons, consumables, and more. You’ll find:
  • Dominator Suit – Combat-oriented.
  • Maverick Suit – Utility and infiltration with a cutting tool.
  • Artemis Suit – Science-focused, includes a genetic sampler. Eventually, you’ll want all three, but your career goals should guide your first purchase.
• Inter Astra: Your main hub for ships. Buy new vessels, trade in old ones, or manage your ship collection. While some ships may not be available at all stations, this is where you’ll eventually expand your fleet.
• Bartender: Surprisingly important. Bartenders are involved in trading rare materials — valuable in engineering and other advanced gameplay systems.
• Frontline Solutions: Your source for on-foot combat missions. You’ll get combat assignments here and return with combat bonds.
• Apex Interstellar: This is the game’s shuttle service — a space taxi. If you don’t want to fly your own ship, use Apex to travel between stations. Be aware that their range is limited.

Boarding Your Ship and the In-Ship Interface

Once you’ve finished exploring the concourse, you’ll head to your ship. Use the elevator — no button press required. You’ll see a blue glow beside your ship, which recharges your suit energy. Step inside and begin familiarizing yourself with your cockpit’s key features:

• Local Services (Station Menu): Access to outfitting, shipyard, mission boards, the commodities market, Universal Cartographics, and more.
• Outfitting: Customize your ship — weapons, shields, thrusters, utility modules. This is where your Sidewinder slowly becomes your custom tool for exploration, trade, or combat.
• Commodities Market: Buy and sell trade goods. The economy here is influenced by the station’s type (industrial, agricultural, etc.), which determines what’s in demand.
• Contacts: Interact with local and interstellar officials. Local contacts handle nearby business; Interstellar Factorsdeal with crimes and bounties across multiple systems. You’ll also find:
  • Black Market (for illicit goods)
  • Search & Rescue (turn in wreckage, black boxes, etc.)
  • Combat Bonds and Bounties
• Universal Cartographics: If you scan unexplored systems, this is where you sell your exploration data for credits. Essential for any budding explorer.
• Crew Lounge: Hire AI crew members to assist with multicrew ships or fighter bays. Each pilot has a rank and salary cut.
• Local News: Get updates on faction influence, system news, and more. Useful if you’re engaging with background simulation (BGS) elements.

Core Ship Menus and Panels

Your ship is more than just a cockpit — it’s your lifeline. Get to know these critical panels:

• Left Panel (Navigation):
  • Shows local bodies and stations.
  • Manage missions, bounties, and passenger data.
  • Use for targeting stations and requesting docking.
• Right Panel (Status and Configuration):
  • View modules, fire groups, power usage, inventory.
  • Track superpower allegiance, permits, and statistics.
• Lower Panel (Loadout Management):
  • Manage SRV deployment, fighters, suit loadouts.
• Upper Panel (Communications):
  • For comms, crew coordination, squadron interactions.

The Galaxy and System Maps

These are essential tools for navigation and strategic planning:

• System Map: See the layout of the current star system — planets, moons, outposts, resource extraction zones, etc.
• Galaxy Map: This is the full galaxy. Plot routes, locate trade hubs, view faction influence, and more. If you want to jump systems, this is where you do it.

Additional Menus and Features

• Galnet News: The game’s in-universe news network. Voice-acted, immersive, and helps you track galactic developments.
• Engineers: Specialists who upgrade your ship’s modules. Unlocking them involves specific tasks, and we’ll cover that in a dedicated guide.
• Codex: Your personal archive of discoveries, logs, and galactic data. Great for explorers and completionists.
• Pilot’s Handbook: A readable in-game tutorial, categorized by activity (trading, bounty hunting, mining, etc.).

Wrapping Up

What we’ve covered is the surface of Elite Dangerous — a sprawling and deep game that rewards curiosity, ambition, and planning. Right now, focus on mastering the space station services and understanding your Sidewinder. From here, you can choose any direction — trade, explore, fight, or simply travel and learn.

In future episodes, we’ll deep dive into specific mechanics like outfitting, engineering, combat, and faction influence. For now, sit back, plot a route, and enjoy your first jumps into the void.

If you made it to the end, thank you! Your watch time fuels the stars. My name is dbot — fly safe, and I’ll see you in the next video.