The first planetary landing in Beyond These Stars does not require a prebuilt Landing Pad: the Settlement Ship is the developer-confirmed exception. Ordinary ships need pads, but this vessel can establish a new outpost and provide an initial pad attachment. After it lands, build a Space Port before expecting it to take off again.
Which ship should I use for each job?
The developer's Space Ships diary separates investigation, transport and settlement. These are different jobs, so a destination that is suitable for one does not automatically satisfy the requirements of another. Start in System View, establish what is at the location and then choose the ship for the task.
| Vessel | Announced job | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Scout Ship | Identifies space objects and whether a planet is settleable | Investigation comes before choosing a colony site |
| Trade Ship | Moves supplies to and from Kewa through Space Ports | Regular deliveries need landing infrastructure |
| Settlement Ship | Establishes a new planetary settlement | Can make the initial landing without a pad, but needs a Space Port before departure |
The diary says the Spaceship Builder unlocks fairly early and produces the Scout and Trade ships. It describes the Settlement Ship separately as an upgraded Home Spaceship. Do not assume all three are constructed through the same building menu.
The planets and outposts guide covers planet resources, climate and galaxy exploration. This page focuses on the landing and port rules that make the first settlement possible.
How does the first landing work without a Space Port?
An undeveloped planet has no landing infrastructure. The Settlement Ship handles that initial arrival: the diary explicitly says it is the only type that can land without a Landing Pad. Once landed, it has a pad attachment that lets it act as a Space Port, allowing the settlement to join the shipping network immediately.
There is a tradeoff in the announced upgrade. The Home Spaceship's continuing supply of vital resources is removed to make room for increased storage and the pad attachment. Plan the outpost's supplies rather than assuming the landed Settlement Ship keeps producing everything the original Home Spaceship supplied.
The developer also gives a clear departure rule: the Settlement Ship cannot take off again until you have built at least one Space Port in the area. That makes the new port a practical part of the settlement plan, not something to defer until after sending the ship home.
Before committing, review what the new colony will need to construct and operate. The buildings guide introduces the supporting structures, while the resources guide explains why planets depend on exchange with the whale.
If the port site needs landscape work, the terraforming guide helps separate reshaping the ground from improving soil and forest cover.
Why are ordinary ships unable to land?
Check the destination's landing facilities and distinguish it from a Settlement Ship's initial arrival. The announced normal rule is that ships land at Landing Pads. A Space Port supports up to four pads, with each accommodating one ship at a time.
Those figures describe the port arrangement, not a tested optimum or a guaranteed volume of deliveries. Before building more ships, inspect whether the ports you intend to use have the required facilities and whether their pads are occupied. The source does not specify a universal number of ships per colony, so this guide does not invent one.
| Situation | Rule to check | Suggested response |
|---|---|---|
| First Settlement Ship arriving at an undeveloped planet | The initial landing is the exception to the pad requirement | Follow the settlement sequence rather than trying to build a pad before anyone lands |
| Settlement Ship cannot leave after arrival | A Space Port must be built in the area | Establish the required port before retrying departure |
| Ordinary shipping cannot use the destination | Ships require landing facilities | Inspect the destination's port and pads |
| A port already has a ship on each pad | Each pad accommodates one ship at a time | Inspect occupancy before expanding the fleet |
This is a diagnostic checklist based on the developer's announced design. Exact interface controls and launch-build behaviour still need checking in game.
What should I prepare before Kewa moves on?
Review both the new settlement's needs and the condition of your home on Kewa. The developer presents planetary settlements as part of a supply network, while the store warns that a weak relationship makes Kewa's departures harder to predict. Landing successfully does not remove the need to plan supplies and travel.
The Kewa care guide explains the whale's health and relationship signals. Avoid assuming ships can sustain trade across arbitrary interstellar distances after Kewa leaves: the sources used here do not establish those route rules.
Pro tip: Make “build a Space Port before the Settlement Ship leaves” part of the outpost checklist. It addresses the explicit departure requirement and gives you a concrete milestone to verify.
