How to Quantum Travel in Star Citizen

Quantum travelQuantum TravelFaster-than-light travel between points in a star system. Your ship's quantum drive eats fuel and takes time, but it's how you cross planets and moons. is how you cross the enormous distances between planets, moons, and stations. Your quantum drive — a physical part installed in your ship — flings you across space at incredible speed. You will use it in every single play session, so it is worth learning on day one. This guide is accurate for Star Citizen Alpha 4.x, including the StantonStantonThe first playable star system — four corporate-owned planets (ArcCorp, Crusader, Hurston, microTech), each with cities and moons. Mostly safe, law-enforced. and PyroPyroThe second playable star system, opened in late 2024. Lawless, dangerous, with rougher rewards. Home to outlaws and the most ambitious haulers. star systems.

Page reviewed July 18, 2026. The steps below match the current Alpha 4.x controls.

Before you can jump

Quantum travel is not available the moment you log in. A few things have to be true first:

• You are in the pilot seat of a ship. Quantum travel is a ship function — you cannot do it on foot or in a ground vehicle. Only the pilot can start a jump, not passengers or gunners.
• Your quantum drive works. If the component is damaged or destroyed, you cannot travel. Check your ship's component health in the vehicle section of your mobiGlasmobiGlasYour character's wrist-mounted computer. It opens missions, manages inventory, summons ships, and handles in-game messages. Press F1. — press F1 to open it.
• You have quantum fuel. Quantum fuel sits in a separate tank from the hydrogen fuel that feeds your thrusters. Refuel at any Cry-Astro service station — the in-game refueling company — or at a major landing zone.
• You are clear of restricted areas. Landing zones, hangars, and the space right around stations all block quantum travel. So does a planet's atmosphere. Fly a few kilometres out until the warning clears from your HUD — the heads-up display projected inside your cockpit.

Quick tip: your ship's power triangle affects calibration time. Sending power toward Engines calibrates the quantum drive faster. Find the power controls in your keybindings under Options → Flight.

Step by step — your first jump

This is the core loop you will use every session. After a few jumps it becomes muscle memory.

1. Take off and clear the restricted zone. Fly away from the landing area or planet surface. You need a few kilometres of open space. Your HUD warns you while you are still too close.
2. Press B to switch to NAV mode. A single press of B — not a hold — sets your ship's Master Mode to NAV. Nearby destinations appear as purple diamond markers floating in space around you. Turn your view to see them all.
3. Middle-click to cycle into QT mode. Click your Middle Mouse Button to cycle your Operating Mode to QT. Aim your ship's nose (or crosshair) at your chosen marker. The marker highlights, and your HUD shows the destination name and estimated travel time.
4. Let the drive auto-calibrate. Keep pointed at the marker and the quantum drive calibrates on its own — no button hold required. This takes about five to fifteen seconds, depending on your ship, its drive, and your power settings.
5. Left-click to jump. When calibration finishes and the “QUANTUM READY” prompt appears, click your Left Mouse Button. Your ship shoots forward into the famous blue quantum tunnel.
6. Arrive. Your ship slows down and the jump ends automatically near the destination. For planetside destinations you arrive about thirty kilometres above or near the surface location, then fly the rest of the way yourself.

That is the whole loop: press B for NAV mode → middle-click for QT mode → aim at a marker → let it calibrate → left-click to jump.

Using the Starmap for longer trips

The quick method above works for destinations that show up as markers around you. For far-away places, or routes that need several hops, use the Starmap — the in-game 3D map of the whole star system.

1. Press F2 in the pilot seat to open the Starmap. It shows every planet, moon, and station. Pan, turn, and zoom with your mouse.
2. Find your destination by browsing the map or typing in the search field, then click it.
3. Click Route to this Location in the panel that appears. If the trip needs several hops, the Starmap plots the whole route for you.
4. Close the map with F2 again (or press Escape).
5. Your first waypoint now appears as a marker in space. Switch to QT mode and jump as normal. When you arrive, the next leg of the route cues up automatically.

Traveling to Pyro

In Alpha 4.x you can leave Stanton for Pyro through a jump point — a natural tunnel between star systems.

1. Open the Starmap and find the Pyro Jump Point. It has its own icon near the outer edge of the Stanton system.
2. Set it as your destination and quantum travel there in normal hops.
3. At the jump point, a special jump sequence starts and carries you into the Pyro system.

Pyro is a lawless system and far more dangerous than Stanton. Make sure your ship is fueled, armed, and repaired before you go.

Tips: calibrate faster, manage fuel, plan your time

Speed up calibration

• Send power to Engines. The power triangle in your ship controls where energy goes. More power to Engines means a faster-calibrating quantum drive.
• Turn off shields and weapons. You do not need them during a jump, and the freed-up power goes to the drive.
• Upgrade the drive itself. A better quantum drive calibrates faster, holds more fuel, and can allow longer jumps. Component shops at major stations sell them.

Keep an eye on quantum fuel

• Quantum fuel has its own gauge on your HUD, separate from hydrogen fuel. An empty tank means no jumps.
• Refuel at Cry-Astro service stations — look for the orange branding at stations across Stanton. It is cheap and fast.
• The big landing zones also refuel you: Area18Area18The capital city of ArcCorp — Blade Runner aesthetic, cyberpunk neon, multi-story shopping. Riker Memorial Spaceport is the landing zone. Often shortened to A18., LorvilleLorvilleThe capital city of Hurston — heavy industrial dome under a polluted sky. Central Business District is the in-city hub. Locked behind security at the gates., New BabbageNew BabbageThe capital city of microTech — Apple-store-clean, glass and white walls. Home of microTech HQ and the Reach observatory. The most polished landing zone., and OrisonOrisonCrusader Industries' floating city in the gas-giant atmosphere of Crusader. A series of platforms connected by skybridges. Stunning sunsets, weak structural integrity..

How long trips take

• Short hops around one planet take thirty seconds to a few minutes.
• Crossing Stanton — say, from CrusaderCrusaderStanton II — a gas giant home to Crusader Industries. The floating city of Orison sits in its atmosphere. Three notable moons: Yela, Daymar, Cellin. to microTechmicroTechStanton IV — a frozen tundra planet owned by the microTech corporation. Home of New Babbage. Three moons: Calliope, Clio, Euterpe. — takes several minutes.
• Long multi-hop routes can take ten to twenty minutes or more in total. Your ship flies itself during a jump, so you can step away and come back when you arrive.

Troubleshooting

The drive will not calibrate

1. Check your seat. Only the pilot can start a jump.
2. Check your Operating Mode. You need to be in NAV mode (press B) and QT mode (middle-click) before the drive will calibrate.
3. Check for a Restricted Area message. Fly further from the nearest structure, landing zone, or planet surface.
4. Check the component. If the quantum drive shows orange or red in your ship's health display, it may be too damaged to work. Get it repaired.
5. Check your fuel. An empty quantum tank prevents calibration. Refuel at a Cry-Astro station or landing zone.

No markers appear in NAV mode

• You may be too close to a planet or station — markers are hidden in restricted zones. Fly further out.
• The drive may be switched off. Check your ship's systems panel and confirm it is online.
• Confirm B is still mapped to “Switch to NAV Mode” in the Options keybindings, not the older “Hold Quantum Travel” bind.

I got pulled out of the jump halfway

Two possible causes. Either your quantum drive took serious damage during the jump — rare, but check your component health. Or another ship pulled you out on purpose. That is called interdiction, and it gets its own section below.

I arrived at the wrong place

Read the destination name on your HUD before you click to jump. Some markers have similar names — several stations can orbit the same planet. Use the Starmap when you need precision.

Quantum interdiction: getting yanked out of a jump

Interdiction is when another player or an NPCNPCNon-Player Character. The AI inhabitants of bunkers, stations, and patrol fleets. Their behavior ranges from competent to comically broken. forces your ship out of quantum travel. Ships built for it, like the RSI MantisMantisRSI interdiction ship — its quantum snare can pull other ships out of quantum travel mid-flight. Used by bounty hunters and pirates to stop targets from escaping before they can be caught., carry a Quantum SnareQuantum SnareA device — usually fitted to combat ships like the Mantis or Vanguard — that yanks ships out of quantum travel mid-flight. Pirates' favorite ambush tool. that pulls you into normal space — usually right next to the attacker. You will see a visual distortion and hear an audio cue as it happens.

1. Do not panic. You are back in normal space and all your ship systems still work.
2. Assess the threat. Check your contacts panel — is it an NPC pirate or a player?
3. Fight, if your ship can. Destroying or disabling the attacker lets you spool up and carry on.
4. Or flee. Boost away at full thrust. The snare weakens with distance, and once you are clear you can switch to QT mode and jump out.
5. Or comply, if you must. NPC pirates may demand a fee or your cargo. Player pirates vary.

Interdiction is most common on busy routes and near known pirate areas, especially in Pyro. Carrying valuable cargo? Plan your route on the Starmap and pick quieter waypoints where you can.