Elite Dangerous: How to Complete Your First Courier Missions

Choose a courier job suited to the Sidewinder

Frontier recommends a few starter missions to learn the station and travel interfaces. A basic Sidewinder is suitable for courier and data-delivery jobs because these do not depend on cargo capacity. Cargo delivery, sourcing and mining work make different demands, so inspect the mission type before accepting a job simply because it pays more. [1]

Steps

1. From the station view, select Starport Services, then Mission Board. In Transportation, look for a Courier Job with a low Threat Level and a destination a few light years away. [1]

Combine destinations when the extra jobs are suitable

The official starter guide suggests checking for other missions to the same system, ideally the same starport. Combining compatible deliveries can reduce repeat journeys. It advises a beginner to avoid planetary settlements at this stage and to keep the accepted work within the capabilities of the ship and pilot. [1]

Steps

1. Compare the destination starport of any additional job before accepting it. Add only missions your ship and current piloting experience can support. [1]

Open the mission destination and plot a route

The Galaxy Map can open at your present location from the External Panel’s Navigation tab, or focus on a mission location from the selected mission in Transactions. The mission route is the useful entry point when you want to confirm where the accepted delivery actually goes. Select the destination system before using the displayed route shortcut. [1]

Steps

1. Select the Galaxy Map icon for the mission, select its destination and hold the indicated shortcut to plot the route. Exit the map, undock and travel there. [1]

Return to the Mission Board to receive the reward

Arrival is followed by the station reward step. Frontier directs the player back through Starport Services to the Mission Board to receive the payment. Use the accepted mission’s destination when comparing several deliveries in the same system; a shared system does not necessarily mean a shared starport. [1]

Steps

1. At the destination starport, open Starport Services and its Mission Board to receive the courier mission reward. [1]

Keep a reserve before upgrading the ship

Before spending the proceeds on upgrades, check the rebuy amount on the Internal Panel below the bank balance. Frontier warns that lacking the insurance payment after destruction leaves the pilot with a stock Sidewinder. Cargo, unclaimed bounties and cartographic data are also lost with the destroyed ship. Keep that consequence in mind as the missions lead to more expensive equipment. [1]