Humans have a strong curiosity and need to find an explanation for everything. From theories about our existence; be they scientific, philosophical, or religious, there is so much out there as evidence to explain our species’ course in the grand scheme of things. With over 1000+ planets to explore with untapped potential, being the first of the human race or the next Neil Armstrong in places incomprehensible compared to the Earth’s moon, the planets are inviting you in to explore its grounds, dig a little deeper, and perhaps uncover some things that can be cut straight out from the surface like your very own dig site expedition.
Each planet has a ton of data for you to gather on your handy Scanner and whilst curiosity is a big part of space and science, what can you get by achieving 100% planet survey data in Starfield? This is Vincent’s guide on everything you need to know about planet survey data – how to complete, where to sell, and how to achieve 100% across the galaxies.
How to Collect Survey Data in Starfield – Scanner Guide
Planets are ripe for the taking of all of their resources inside. All you need on hand is the Scanner and Cutter and you can get started in gathering items for crafting and selling. Whilst the Scanner is essential in locating resources you may be looking for, it also helps to scan everything you come across – Fauna, Flora, and Traits. These are essential to completing the survey data and may be an overlooked part of data gathering as you are committed to finding everything highlighted in a blue glow to indicate data you have not yet researched.
It is important to note that whilst you will come across various types of data on every planet, a simple scan of one piece of data will not complete the research done on that specific item. For example, if you come across a wild reptilian that must be added to your Scanner (view it as your intergalactic Pokédex), you will need to find multiple of the same species until the research is completed, 100% is achieved and the item in question turns green.
Related: What All Material Symbols Mean in Starfield – Resource Guide.
Where Should You Sell Survey Data You Collect From Planets?
If you were wondering what was the point of collecting survey data, it is to sell the complete survey to specific NPCs in Starfield. Whilst Vendors and Trade Authority Buildings purchase these, you will not get the most bang for your buck using these methods. Instead, you should visit Cyndonia, Mars, and The Eye Station orbiting Jemison. The NPCs you need to speak to are Phil Hill (Cyndonia) and Vladimir (The Eye). They will offer you the most money for your hard work (1,000+ credits). However, Phil Hill will only offer money if you complete planet surveys for habitable planets.
How to Get 100% on Planet Surveys – Tips and Tricks
Complete Scans on Unhabitable Planets First for Easy and Quick Money
Firstly, we highly recommend clearing planets that have unhabitable conditions that would kill you under any normal circumstance. These are planets with toxic gas called Gas Giants, freezing temperatures that kill instantaneously on Ice Giants, and crush-inducing atmospheres on Asteroids. As you cannot land safely on these, a simple scan from orbit will 100% complete the survey and grant you a ton of data that can be sold on to Vladimir at The Eye.
Repeatedly Scan Data – Resources, Flora, and Fauna
Diving into planets that you can walk on then, in achieving 100% on your planet survey scan, you should first divide your attention to areas that hold specific Resources. These can be seen and found under the planet overview before landing where each common Resource is labeled with their symbol and color that corresponds to a particular biome. Use this as your starting point and head to the first Resource biome and go from here. In the hunt for Resources, be sure to scan and keep track of what you have found by referring to the Resource Counter under your Scanner’s survey.
As mentioned above, when the Resource, Flora, or Fauna has been successfully gathered to completion, the item in question will turn from blue to green to indicate that you have enough data about it. As you can see under your Survey Progression Counter, each type of research is recorded here so you must refer back to this, especially when determining if you need to locate Legendary Resources to complete the scan. Make sure to check areas such as caves for rarer materials.
Use Landing Targets to Find Research You May Have Missed
When you think you have found everything the biome has to offer, exit and view the Starmap Planet Overview once again. Use the Landing Target Markers on different biomes to see where you have missed research. This will show a percentage of each biome where you can land back and revisit to gather anything you may have missed.
Scan Unknown Landmarks/Icons on Planets
To find Planet Traits, you need to refer to the far-away Landmarks that appear as icons on your Scanner. These will all say at first glance that they are Unknown. All you need to do is stand and point your Scanner cursor at it for a few seconds to reveal what type of Landmark it is before heading to it. This will add data to the survey scan before you even start heading to the destination. The icons can appear as a lot of different things such as heartbeats, location markers, or building structures. You should however make sure that you visit the Landmark itself to add the actual Trait into the survey data as this will change the Unexplored status to Explored, giving you unique features of the land.
That was our complete guide on survey data collection for Starfield. For more like this, be sure to see our ongoing GJ coverage in our Starfield section found here. Good luck out there!
