There are so many systems and planets available to explore in Starfield. One of the many things you can do on each planet is use your scanner to survey the landscape. Each planet has its own flora, fauna, resources, and even special points of interest. Scanning a planet will not only give you important information about the planet, but you can also obtain survey data for each planet you fully survey. We’ve put together a helpful Starfield planet scan guide to help you learn everything you can about scanning planets and moons.
How do you fully scan a planet in Starfield?
When you’re in orbit around a planet, you can look at the planet and hold the scan button to do a planetary scan. By default on PC, this is the ‘R’ key. Doing so will show you the resources on the planet as well as any other useful information. If you put points in the Scanning skill under the Science tree you can increase the quality of resources you can detect via a scan. Furthermore, you can also put points into the Astrophysics skill under the Science tree to expand the range in which you can scan planets.
Once you actually land on the planet you can do more specific surface scans. To do so, pull out your scanner. By default on PC, this is the ‘F’ key. If there is anything scannable within the range and circle of your scanner, it will show up blue or green. A non-filled blue means you have not yet scanned that specific entity. A solid blue means you have scanned that specific entity but need more to fully survey it. If it’s green it means you’ve completely surveyed that specific thing. Resources only need to be scanned once per resource. Flora and fauna require several of the same entity to be scanned to completely survey it.
Some planets also have unique sites that have to be scanned to fully survey the planet. To find these areas, look for unvisited landmarks in the distance often represented by question marks. Once there you should see a blue entity in your scanner that needs to be scanned to completely scan that location and complete your full survey. If you put points in the Surveying skill under the Science tree you can add a zoom to your scanner and scan things from further away.
What do you get for scanning a planet in Starfield?
First and foremost, you will be able to find resources by scanning a planet. Resources are used for crafting and building outposts and ship modules.
You will also receive Survey Data for a planet once you have scanned everything. You can hand this over to Constellation for a reward or sell it to various people throughout Starfield. Survey Data can actually sell for a hefty amount of credits, so it can be a great way to make money.
Now that you’ve read our Starfield planet scan guide you’re ready to survey the stars.
