Dropship

The Dropship is the player’s starting craft in early Astroneer, serving as the initial safe point and base hub when a new game begins on Terran. It functions as the first shelter the player arrives in and, once entered, becomes tied to saving, respawning, and survival. It also provides an infinite source of Oxygen, making it the core of the earliest gameplay loop until a larger base is built.

After construction or deployment, the Dropship acts as the center of the player’s new base. Entering it protects the player from the deadly effects of storms, and each entry creates a save point. If the player dies, the Dropship is the respawn location, but it only becomes available as a spawn point after the player has entered it at least once. When respawning, the player is returned to their last save point.

The Dropship also has limited attachment support on its rear side:

• Two Tier-1 slots for attaching up to two small items
• Two power connectors for extending the base outward

Because of this, it can be used as a very early utility platform, although its main role is still as the starting shelter rather than a production structure. The item shown as undeployed is the portable form of the Dropship before it is placed.

In practical use, the Dropship is most important at the start of a save file:

• Enter it immediately after landing to establish a spawn point.
• Use it as a storm shelter whenever conditions become dangerous.
• Attach small items to its rear slots to begin basic base expansion.
• Treat it as the player’s first oxygen anchor until a more permanent network is established.

The Dropship is also notable for its original visual design, which was later updated along with other older game objects during the Exploration Update.