The Glitched Low Orbit Derelict Freighter

u/stharward has written the definitive guide on derelict freighters, and if you haven’t read that it’s worth starting there. This post on the Glitched Low Orbit, or GLO, Derelict Freighter should be considered an addendum to their work.

What is the Glitched Low Orbit Derelict Freight?

Simply put, a GLO derelict is one that spawns in the upper atmosphere of a planetary body. It is a derelict freighter that is really no different from the “standard” derelict: you can land on it, and run it as you would a regular derelict freighter (including collecting the captain’s log, crew manifest, and reward at the end). The catch is that some of the derelict “rules” are different when a derelict is in the atmosphere of a planetary body.

GLO derelicts provide some stunning views.

How do I spawn one?

I’ve only been able to do this with moons. Maybe someone else can find a way to make it work with planets, but for now you need a planet with at least one moon.

The procedure goes like this.

Step 1. Line up a moon behind its planet like so. You want that moon behind the planet such that you will pass through the atmosphere of the latter. Precise alignment may not be necessary, but this general lineup is how I get the GLO derelict to spawn reliably.

Step 1. Line up the moon behind the planet and aim for the atmosphere.

Step 2. Activate your emergency broadcast receiver.

Step 3. Align your ship such that it will pass through the upper atmosphere of the planet. You don’t want to aim for the planet itself. You just want to skim the atmosphere.

Step 4. Activate your pulse drive.

Step 4. Pulse so you enter the atmosphere of the planet.

Step 5. If you aimed right, you’ll enter the atmosphere of the planet and it will drop you out of pulse.

Step 6. This is the somewhat-tricky part. Aim your ship at the moon, thrust a little, and then try to pulse. You may have to lift the nose of your ship a bit, but keep lifting the nose a little at a time, thrusting, and then trying pulse until it engages.

Step 6. Nose up and pulse to the moon.

Step 7. You are now headed for the moon. Just wait patiently.

Pulsing out of the planet’s atmosphere to the moon.

Step 8. You’ll enter the moon’s atmosphere, and drop out of pulse. The derelict should appear in the atmosphere directly ahead.

Step 8. When you drop out of pulse the GLO derelict will appear.

Step 9. Profit!

How does the GLO Derelict Freighter differ from the “standard” derelict?

From u/stharward we know that every region in the galaxy has one derelict “pool”, and that the star systems in that region obtain its derelict from that pool. Derelicts are identified by name, and each named freighter has a fixed class of tech upgrade at the end, and the same enemies. The layout of the freighter changes based on the star system, but if the freighter name is the same, then it will still have the same class of upgrade, and the same hostiles, regardless of layout.

A GLO derelict, however, is determined by the planetary body in which it spawns and does not seem to pull from the “pool” of regional derelicts (more research is needed here, as I’ve only explored handful of systems). The same moon will always spawn the same freighter. If the system has two moons, those two moons will spawn different freighters.

https://preview.redd.it/re73wp58ek481.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d934d2df1b046b632cabe98cdc7dd4c0466d4d02

This also means that the GLO freighter can have a different class of tech upgrade than the system freighter. For example, the system freighter for 0192FD5D1C15 is the “MS Riyako’s Glory” and gives B-class upgrades, but the moon Ebloem Major (3192FD5D1C15) has the freighter “SV Suwaj XVIII” and it spawns C-class upgrades.

How are the freighter “rules” different?

Simply put, you are affected by the atmosphere of the planetary body while you are on the freighter, in addition to the cold hazard of the freighter itself. The derelict is not considered to be “indoors”.

This means you can be affected by a hazardous atmosphere, and in particular by storms. It is, for example, possible to have both hot and cold hazard protection active at the same time.

It is both too hot and too cold.

Interestingly enough, activating one of the portable heaters on the derelict also protects you from the planetary body’s atmosphere.

Need protection from a superheated atmosphere? Turn on the heater!

What else is glitchy?

When you enter the freighter, the docking bay door control gives you the name of the system freighter, not the name of the GLO freighter.

MV Butcher of Iderag with DOcking Bay Door Control by the MS Utashi VII

Last, there are some visual glitches as you enter and leave. The side and back walls of the derelict may clip in and out, showing you the atmosphere. I haven’t had the interior glitch, however, so they are safe to run.

Clipping of the wall leading to the landing pads, showing the atmosphere below.

https://preview.redd.it/kak0qnphek481.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b74f4d1480755ca13f42f0823579e2344c204bc

What else do you know?

Not much! I’ve only run a dozen different freighters, so it’s too early to draw many conclusions. And, I’ve not gotten them to work in a planet’s atmosphere. Maybe someone else will figure out another way to get them to spawn reliably.

Enjoy!

https://preview.redd.it/xxcqngz0fk481.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd79fb6d85088ed1f17f1268a28d24cafbf5157a

https://preview.redd.it/umeu6z93fk481.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=122ab43bd7bd56ed933cfd206081e2c5224ead30

My freighter is called Mobile Operations Center, for when I’m not at my settlement. I decided to make myself a little habitable space on my Freighter base as a sort of quality of life addition.