Your ship is one of the most important aspects in Starfield. Not only does it let you travel from one planet or system to the other, but it also offers extra inventory space, living quarters for your crew, and nearly infinite customization options. However, at the start of the game, you will be limited to just the Frontier ship that Barrett gifted you. While you can purchase a ship, they cost a ton of credits.

It’s actually easier to steal an enemy ship in Starfield, especially if you want to save credits.

The process of stealing a ship is not something that’s generally explained to you throughout the course of the story. While there is one mission where you need to board an enemy ship, the game doesn’t explain how you can steal a ship and add it to your fleet. That’s where I come in.

How to steal an enemy ship in Starfield

First and foremost, you will need to actually find an enemy ship to steal in Starfield. This can be somewhat difficult, but if you open your galaxy map, you will likely see a few icons that are labeled as “Spaceship.” If you head to these locations, either on planets or in space itself, you will be able to find a ship captained by an NPC.

From here, you have two options. If the ship you found is flying in space, you need to damage it enough that you are able to dock it. This requires completely draining the ship of all of its health. Be careful, though, as damaging it too much will result in the ship being destroyed. Once the ship’s engines are down, you can fly toward it and target it to dock.

After you’re docked, head inside and kill any enemies that are in your way. Make your way to the cockpit and pilot the ship to any spaceport. At the spaceport, you will be able to register your new ship for free and even make it your Home Ship, which means it will replace your previous ship as your primary means of travel. Your previous ship, or the one you just stole if you don’t want it as your Home Ship, will go to your ship fleet.

Related: Starfield: Where to sell guns, armor, and other items

Alternatively, if you find a ship that’s landed on a planet, you can go inside and interact with the ladder that leads up to the main part of the ship. You will need to use a Digpick to lockpick the ladder, which you will likely need an Advanced lockpicking skill or higher to do. Once the ladder has been lockpicked, you can head up the ladder and take control of the ship by going to the cockpit. From here, follow the same steps as before and you will be able to add it to your fleet or make it your Home Ship in Starfield.