Last updated: July 10, 2026
Space Haven Salvage Guide
Salvaging derelict ships is one of the most profitable activities in Space Haven, but it is also one of the most dangerous. A well-executed salvage run can net you power generators, shield components, turrets, and advanced materials that would take hours to craft from scratch. A poorly planned salvage wastes crew time, fills cargo with low-value junk, and risks crew injuries or death from structural collapse and environmental hazards. This guide covers salvage priorities, crew assignment, and the strategy differences between early game scavenging and mid game industrial salvage.
Salvage Priority Table — What to Keep, Dismantle, or Dump
Every derelict contains a mix of high-value components worth keeping intact, medium-value materials worth salvaging for crafting, and low-value bulk that wastes cargo space and crew time. This table ranks every common salvageable item by value, estimated salvage time, and the recommended action. Follow this priority order and you will maximize profit while minimizing wasted effort.
The core principle is simple: salvage critical ship systems first, advanced materials second, common bulk only if you have spare capacity. Power generators and oxygen generators are always worth keeping because building them from raw materials takes hours and significant component investment. A salvaged power generator that installs directly onto your ship saves you the entire crafting chain from Infra Blocks and Tech Blocks through assembler to finished component.
| Component | Value | Salvage Time | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Generator | Very High | 4-6 hours | Keep — power generators are expensive to build and critical for ship expansion | Always salvage intact power generators first. Even damaged ones are worth repairing. |
| Oxygen Generator | Very High | 3-5 hours | Keep — essential for life support, expensive to craft from scratch | Second priority after power. A ship without oxygen generation is a death trap. |
| Shield Generator | Very High | 5-8 hours | Keep if intact, dismantle for Tech Blocks if damaged beyond repair | Mk I shields are salvageable. Mk II components are rare finds worth keeping even if partially damaged. |
| Hyperdrive Engine | High | 6-10 hours | Keep — enables sector travel and retreat from combat | A working hyperdrive from a derelict saves enormous crafting time and resources. |
| Turret (Laser/Cannon) | High | 3-5 hours | Keep functional turrets, dismantle destroyed ones for Infra/Tech Blocks | Functional turrets can be installed directly. Saves build time and component cost. |
| Water Recycler | High | 2-4 hours | Keep — water recycling is essential and components are hard to source | Never dump a working water recycler. Water shortage kills crews faster than combat. |
| Circuit Boards (bulk) | Medium | 1-2 hours per batch | Keep — core crafting material for advanced construction | Circuit boards are always in demand. Salvage every batch you find. |
| Energium Crystals | Medium-High | 1-2 hours per batch | Keep — fuel for hyperdrive and advanced systems | Energium is the mid-game bottleneck. Every crystal you salvage delays the next shortage. |
| Steel Plates (bulk) | Medium | 1-2 hours per batch | Keep if storage available, dump if cargo is full and higher-value items are present | Common material. Useful but easily mined or traded. Low priority when cargo space is tight. |
| Infra Blocks (bulk) | Low | 1 hour per batch | Dump if cargo space needed for higher-value components | Infra blocks are the most common construction material. Almost never worth sacrificing cargo space for. |
| Food Supplies | Low | 30 min per batch | Dump unless crew is starving — food is easily produced onboard | Only salvage food if your own food production is failing. Otherwise it wastes crew time. |
| Damaged Hull Sections | Negligible | 2-4 hours per section | Dump — repair cost exceeds value unless you need emergency hull patches | Damaged hull is almost never worth salvaging intact. Dismantle for raw Infra Blocks if desperate. |
Crew Assignment for Salvage Operations
Salvage is not a single task — it is a sequence of specialized jobs that each require different crew skills. Disassembly needs Industry skill to extract components intact. Hauling needs crew with adequate carry capacity and stamina. Security overwatch needs Combat skill to respond to threats. Medical support prevents injuries from escalating into crew losses. Assigning the wrong crew to a salvage task wastes time and risks destroying the components you are trying to recover.
The minimum effective salvage team is "4" crew: one Industry specialist for precision work, two general haulers, and one security overwatch. For larger derelicts or risky salvage, add a medic and a Science specialist for hazard assessment. Never send fewer than "2" crew on any salvage operation regardless of derelict size — lone salvagers have no backup if something goes wrong.
| Task | Primary Skill | Min Level | Optimal Crew | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component disassembly | Industry | 3 | 1-2 | High Industry crew salvage components faster and with less risk of accidental destruction. Assign your best builder to precision salvage tasks like power generators and shield components. |
| Bulk material hauling | Strength | 2 | 2-3 | Moving salvaged materials from the derelict to your cargo bay requires brute labor. Multiple crew speed up transfer and reduce total time spent exposed in the derelict. |
| Turret removal | Industry | 4 | 1 | Turrets are precision components that require careful disassembly. Low Industry skill risks destroying the turret during removal, converting a high-value keep into scrap. |
| Hazard assessment | Science | 2 | 1 | A crew member with Science skill can identify unstable components, toxic residues, and structural risks before the salvage team begins work. Prevents injuries and wasted time on dangerous sections. |
| Security overwatch | Combat | 3 | 1-2 | Derelict ships sometimes contain hostile survivors, environmental hazards, or pirate traps. One armed crew member standing guard is cheap insurance against unexpected threats. |
| Medical support | Medical | 2 | 1 | Salvage injuries are common — cuts from sharp edges, exposure to toxic residue, and structural collapse. Having a medic on the salvage team prevents minor injuries from becoming crew losses. |
Early Game Salvage Strategy
In the early game, your ship is small, your crew is limited, and your crafting capacity is minimal. Salvage is not a side activity — it is your primary source of advanced components. Every derelict you encounter is an opportunity to shortcut hours of crafting time by installing salvaged components directly onto your ship.
Early game salvage priorities are survival systems first: power generators, oxygen generators, and water recyclers. These three components determine whether your crew lives or dies, and building them from raw materials requires infrastructure you may not yet have. A single salvaged power generator can expand your ship's capabilities by enabling additional rooms and systems that your starting generator cannot support.
Do not waste early game crew hours on low-value salvage. Food, Infra Blocks, and Steel Plates are easy to produce or trade for. Focus crew time on the high-value components that your crafting chain cannot yet produce efficiently. As your crafting infrastructure grows, the relative value of salvage shifts — items you can now build yourself become lower salvage priority, while items that remain expensive to craft stay at the top of your list.
Mid Game Salvage Strategy
By mid game, your ship has a functioning crafting chain, adequate power, and a crew of "8-12" capable of parallel operations. Salvage shifts from a survival necessity to a profit engine. You can now afford to send dedicated salvage teams while the rest of your crew maintains ship operations, production, and defense.
Mid game salvage priorities shift toward advanced components: shield generators, turrets, hyperdrive engines, and Energium Crystals. Your crafting chain can now produce basic components efficiently, so power generators and oxygen generators are lower salvage priority — you can build them when needed. But shield generators and turrets remain expensive and time-consuming to craft, making every salvaged unit a significant time and resource saving.
Capital ship derelicts become viable salvage targets in mid game. These large wrecks contain multiple high-value components but require "6-8" crew and significant time investment. Plan capital salvage as a dedicated operation — assign your best Industry crew, bring medical support, and allocate "12-16" hours of crew time. The payoff from a single capital derelict can advance your ship capabilities by an entire tier.
Salvage Safety — Avoiding Crew Losses
Derelict ships are inherently dangerous. Structural instability can cause hull sections to collapse during disassembly. Toxic residue from damaged systems can injure crew handling components. Functioning automated systems in the derelict — turrets, doors, environmental controls — can activate unexpectedly and trap or injure your salvage team. Hostile survivors or pirates hiding in sealed compartments are a real threat on larger derelicts.
Mitigate these risks systematically. Always send a Science specialist to assess environmental hazards before the main salvage team enters. Keep one Combat-crew member on overwatch at the entry point. Mark unstable sections and avoid disassembling components near them — collapse propagates through connected hull sections. Seal off completed salvage sections with airlocks to prevent environmental contamination from spreading through the derelict.
If a salvage operation encounters unexpected danger — hostile occupants, unstable collapse, or toxic contamination that your Science crew cannot neutralize — withdraw immediately. The components you abandon in a dangerous derelict are worth far less than the crew you would lose trying to recover them under hazardous conditions. There is always another derelict. There is not always another crew member.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many crew should I assign to a salvage operation?
A standard salvage team is 4-5 crew: 1 Industry specialist for precision disassembly, 2 haulers for material transfer, 1 security overwatch, and optionally 1 medic. Smaller derelicts with few valuable components can be handled by 2-3 crew. Large derelicts or capital ship salvage may require 6-8 crew working in parallel sections. Never send fewer than 2 crew — a lone salvager is vulnerable to structural collapse and hostile encounters with no backup.
Q: Should I salvage everything from a derelict or focus on specific components?
Focus on high-value components first, then fill remaining cargo space with medium-value materials. Never waste crew hours on low-value bulk like Infra Blocks or food unless you have abundant crew time and cargo space. The salvage priority rule is: power systems, life support, and weapons first; advanced materials second; common bulk last. A focused salvage run on the top 3-4 components from a derelict is more efficient than stripping every last item.
Q: What are the signs that a derelict is too dangerous to salvage?
Three warning signs. First, visible structural instability — hull sections that shift when touched or airlocks that do not seal properly indicate the derelict may collapse during salvage. Second, toxic residue or environmental hazards that your Science crew cannot identify or mitigate. Third, signs of hostile occupants — functioning turrets, movement detected, or sealed sections that suggest survivors or pirates are present. In any of these cases, limit salvage to exterior components accessible from safe positions, or abandon the derelict entirely if the risk exceeds the reward.