How to Use the ASOP Terminal in Star Citizen
The ASOP terminal in Star Citizen is the main interface used to access your available ships and vehicles at supported locations.
For a new player, the terminal becomes much easier once you understand one distinction:
Deliver, Retrieve, Store, and Claim do not mean the same thing.
For a normal first ship retrieval, RSI's current beginner documentation uses this sequence:
Deliver → Retrieve → note the assigned hangar → go to the ship.
You should not use Claim simply because a ship is not immediately available. Claiming starts an insurance replacement process intended for ships or vehicles that have been destroyed, stolen, stranded, or otherwise require replacement.
This guide covers the ASOP terminal itself. Once the ship has been successfully retrieved, How to Find Your Ship in Star Citizen takes over.
Quick Answer: How Do You Use an ASOP Terminal?
To retrieve a ship through an ASOP terminal:
- Find an ASOP terminal at your Personal Hangar, spaceport, or another supported vehicle-access location.
- Interact with the terminal.
- Find the ship you want in your vehicle list.
- If the terminal shows Deliver, select it first.
- Once the ship has been delivered and Retrieve becomes available, select Retrieve.
- Check where the terminal says the ship was sent.
- Note the assigned hangar or pad before leaving the terminal.
- Use the nearby elevators to reach the assigned location.
RSI's current Getting Started guide specifically tells new players to Deliver and then Retrieve a ship, while the current Hangar FAQ says the ASOP terminal will tell you where the requested ship has been sent.
If the expected Deliver button is missing in Alpha 4.10.2, do not automatically file an insurance claim. RSI currently lists missing Deliver options as a known ASOP issue at some locations.
What Is an ASOP Terminal?
ASOP terminals are the vehicle-access terminals used to interact with your available fleet.
RSI's current beginner documentation refers to the vehicle retrieval consoles at spaceports as ASOP Terminals, and its Hangar FAQ says you can use an ASOP terminal to request that a ship be delivered and/or retrieved.
The terminal can also be involved in other ship-management actions, including:
- storing a locally landed ship;
- filing an insurance claim;
- managing current ship loadout insurance.
The exact options available depend on the ship's current state and location.
Where Can You Find an ASOP Terminal?
You will commonly encounter ASOP terminals at spaceports and other locations that provide ship or vehicle access.
If you are inside your Personal Hangar, RSI says there is an ASOP terminal near the elevators.
Players who skip the New Player Experience currently begin directly inside their Personal Hangar in front of an ASOP terminal, making this one of the first game interfaces they encounter.
If the difference between your Personal Hangar and the temporary/Public Hangars used elsewhere is still unclear, read the Star Citizen Personal Hangar Guide first.
You do not need to understand the entire hangar system to use ASOP, but you do need to know whether you are at the location where you intend to access the ship.
What Do Deliver, Retrieve, Store, and Claim Mean?
These four actions solve different problems.
| ASOP Action | What It Is For | Use It When |
|---|---|---|
| Deliver | Makes the ship available through the current location's vehicle-access flow | ASOP offers Deliver before the ship can be retrieved |
| Retrieve | Requests an available ship and sends it to an assigned hangar or pad | The ship is available locally and ready to be spawned |
| Store | Stores a ship that is currently present at that location | You have landed and want the ship returned to local storage |
| Claim | Begins the insurance replacement process | The ship is destroyed, stolen, stranded, or otherwise requires replacement |
For a new player retrieving a normal available ship, the important sequence is usually:
Deliver → Retrieve
Claim is not simply another version of Retrieve.
What Does Deliver Mean on an ASOP Terminal?
If the ASOP terminal presents a Deliver option for the ship you want, use that before attempting to retrieve it.
RSI's current Getting Started guide explicitly tells new players to interact with the vehicle retrieval console to Deliver and then Retrieve one of their ships.
Once the delivery step completes, the ship should move into a state where it can be retrieved through the terminal.
You do not need to file an insurance claim just because the terminal initially says Deliver instead of Retrieve.
What If Deliver Does Not Appear?
Alpha 4.10.2 currently has a documented issue where some ASOP terminals fail to show the Deliver option.
RSI says it has observed the issue at Levski and Checkmate, while noting that it may occur elsewhere as well.
Its current documented workarounds are:
- restart the game; or
- try accessing the ship from another location.
These are patch-specific workarounds, not part of normal ASOP operation.
If this becomes a persistent problem rather than a normal gameplay question, move into the dedicated ASOP Terminal Not Working troubleshooting guide.
What Does Retrieve Mean?
Retrieve is the action that requests the ship and assigns it to a hangar or pad.
RSI's Hangar FAQ says that after requesting a ship through ASOP, the terminal will tell you where the ship has been sent. It specifically advises players to take note of the hangar pad when the ship is not sent directly to their Personal Hangar.
The normal sequence is:
- Select the ship.
- Complete Deliver first if required.
- Select Retrieve.
- Wait for the terminal to confirm the request.
- Read the assigned location.
- Leave the terminal only after you know where the ship was sent.
That last step prevents a very common beginner problem: successfully retrieving a ship and then having no idea where it is.
How to Retrieve Your Ship Step by Step
1. Go to an ASOP Terminal
At a major landing zone, head to the relevant vehicle-access area at the spaceport.
Inside your Personal Hangar, the ASOP terminal is located near the elevators.
2. Interact With the Terminal
Approach the console and interact with it.
RSI's current beginner documentation uses F for interaction with the vehicle retrieval console under the standard control scheme.
If you have changed your keybindings, use your configured interaction control instead.
3. Find the Ship You Want
Locate the intended ship or vehicle in the ASOP list.
Before pressing anything, check the state and available action displayed for that ship.
If several ships have similar names, make sure you are working with the correct entry.
4. Select Deliver If Required
If Deliver is the available action, use it first.
Do not substitute Claim simply because Retrieve is not yet available.
RSI's documented beginner flow specifically places Deliver before Retrieve.
5. Select Retrieve
Once the ship is available for retrieval, choose Retrieve.
The ASOP system should then assign the ship to an appropriate hangar or pad.
6. Read the Assigned Hangar or Pad
Do not immediately walk away from the terminal.
Check the retrieval result and note where your ship was sent.
RSI's Hangar FAQ specifically tells players to take note of the hangar pad when the ship is sent somewhere other than the Personal Hangar.
7. Go to the Assigned Location
At major spaceports, the relevant elevators are normally located near the ASOP terminals.
Select the assigned hangar or pad from the elevator interface.
At this point, the ASOP portion of the process is complete.
If you reach the elevator area but cannot work out where the retrieved ship actually is, continue with How to Find Your Ship in Star Citizen.
What Does Store Mean?
After returning to a supported location and landing your ship, ASOP can be used to store a ship that is present locally.
Store is not the same thing as Claim.
Storing keeps the normal ship state within the location's hangar/storage system. Claiming starts an insurance replacement process.
For the beginner roadmap, the important distinction is:
You returned normally with the ship → Store
The ship has been lost, destroyed, stolen, or requires replacement → Claim may be appropriate
The complete post-landing procedure belongs in How to Store Your Ship in Star Citizen, later in this roadmap.
Alpha 4.10.2 Area18 Store Warning
There is currently a specific known issue at Area18.
RSI says players attempting to store a ship through an ASOP terminal inside a hangar may become stuck in a “Repositioning Player” state.
If this occurs, RSI's current documented solution is to exit to the main menu and rejoin the game.
This is an Alpha 4.10.2 bug, not normal Store behavior.
What Does Claim Mean?
Claim belongs to Star Citizen's ship-insurance system.
RSI's current Ship Insurance FAQ says a claim may be needed when a ship or vehicle has been:
- destroyed;
- stolen;
- stranded far away;
- or otherwise put into a state where replacement is required.
The insurance process is accessed through an ASOP terminal.
Do not use Claim as the first response to every unfamiliar ASOP state.
If the terminal offers Deliver or Retrieve normally, use the normal access flow instead.
Why You Should Not Claim a Ship Casually
A claim is a replacement process, not simply a way to summon an existing ship.
Current insurance behavior can also involve different replacement/loadout states and associated aUEC costs depending on the insurance option being used.
That system deserves its own explanation.
If you genuinely need to replace a lost or destroyed ship, use How to Claim a Ship in Star Citizen rather than turning every ASOP problem into an insurance claim.
What Is Insure Loadout?
Current ASOP terminals may also provide an Insure Loadout option.
This is separate from Deliver, Retrieve, Store, and the basic concept of ship-loss insurance.
RSI's current Ship Insurance FAQ says that after changing ship equipment, players can use the ASOP terminal to select Insure Loadout, review the equipment configuration, and insure that loadout.
A green check mark is intended to indicate that a loadout has been insured, although RSI currently notes that the icon does not always display correctly.
For a brand-new player using a standard starter ship, this is not something you need to master before your first flight.
It becomes more important once you begin modifying ship components and want to understand what equipment will return after an insurance claim.
How Do You Know Where ASOP Sent Your Ship?
Always read the result shown after retrieval.
The terminal tells you where the requested ship has been sent.
If you are using your Personal Hangar and the ship can be handled there, it may be delivered into that hangar.
At other locations, or when another hangar is needed, the ship may be assigned elsewhere.
RSI specifically advises noting the hangar pad after requesting the ship.
Do not confuse:
ASOP successfully retrieved the ship
with:
I personally know where the ship is.
Those are two separate steps.
If retrieval succeeded but you cannot locate the ship or assigned hangar, that is exactly what How to Find Your Ship in Star Citizen is designed to solve.
Common ASOP Problems in Alpha 4.10.2
Not every unexpected terminal state means you selected the wrong option.
The current Alpha 4.10.2 Known Issues documentation includes several ASOP-related problems.
Deliver Is Missing
RSI currently documents ASOP terminals at some locations failing to show the expected Deliver option.
The issue has been observed at Levski and Checkmate and may occur elsewhere.
Current official workarounds:
- restart the game;
- or try another location.
Do not file a claim solely because Deliver is missing during this known issue.
My Rental Ship Is Missing From ASOP
Alpha 4.10.2 currently includes a known issue where rental ships may not appear in ASOP terminals.
RSI says it is working on the issue and reports that some players have had success after restarting their router and performing a DNS flush, but this is not presented as a guaranteed fix.
If the ship is rented rather than owned, check this current issue before assuming the rental has disappeared permanently.
ASOP Says “Failed to Retrieve Vehicle”
Read the error message carefully.
RSI's current dedicated ship-spawn troubleshooting article says ASOP errors often provide information about why the ship is unavailable or what needs to happen before it can be retrieved.
For the current Failed to retrieve vehicle problem, RSI advises reporting reproducible cases through the Issue Council and says that attempting retrieval from another location can often resolve the problem.
If retrieval repeatedly fails, use the dedicated Ship Won't Spawn or ASOP Terminal Not Working guide rather than repeatedly pressing Claim.
I Have Duplicate Ships in ASOP
RSI also documents cases where duplicate copies of the same ship appear in the terminal.
Its current troubleshooting guidance is to try the entry with the highest numerical value—for example, a numbered copy such as Aurora MR - 3—because one of the entries may still be usable.
Persistent duplicate-ship issues should be reported through the Issue Council.
My Ship Is Too Large for My Personal Hangar
This can happen if you acquire a larger ship after your Personal Hangar was originally assigned.
RSI's current Hangar FAQ says obtaining a larger ship later does not automatically increase your Personal Hangar size.
Instead, a suitable temporary/Public Hangar can be used when a larger space is required.
This is a hangar-size issue, not a reason to file an insurance claim.
Store Causes an Error at Area18
Alpha 4.10.2 currently has a documented Area18 issue where storing a ship can leave the player stuck in a Repositioning Player state.
If you encounter that specific bug, RSI says to exit to the main menu and rejoin.
How to Read an ASOP Error
Do not ignore the terminal message.
RSI's current troubleshooting documentation specifically tells players to read ASOP errors carefully because they often explain:
- why the ship is unavailable;
- what state the ship is in;
- or what may need to happen before the ship can be retrieved.
This is usually a better first step than guessing.
If the error matches a current Known Issue, use the documented workaround for that issue.
If it is reproducible and appears to be a game bug, RSI directs gameplay bug reports toward the Issue Council.
ASOP Terminal Mistakes New Players Should Avoid
Clicking Claim When Deliver Is the Correct Option
Deliver and Claim solve completely different problems.
If the ship simply needs to be delivered before retrieval, use Deliver.
Claim begins insurance replacement.
Walking Away Before Reading the Hangar Assignment
Retrieving the ship successfully does not help if you do not know where ASOP sent it.
Read the terminal result first.
Assuming Every Missing Button Means the Ship Is Lost
Alpha 4.10.2 currently has a documented missing-Deliver problem.
Check Known Issues before escalating.
Treating Public and Personal Hangars as the Same Thing
The terminal may send a ship to a hangar other than your Personal Hangar.
That is normal when you are away from home or another hangar size is required.
The Personal Hangar Guide explains that distinction in detail.
Claiming Because a Ship Is Somewhere Else
A ship being somewhere inconvenient is not automatically the same as a destroyed or stolen ship.
Check the ASOP status first.
Ignoring the Difference Between Owned and Rented Ships
If a rented ship is missing from the terminal in Alpha 4.10.2, check the current rental-ship ASOP Known Issue before assuming the rental itself is gone.
Star Citizen ASOP Terminal FAQ
What Does ASOP Mean in Star Citizen?
ASOP refers to the terminals used for accessing ships and vehicles through the game's vehicle retrieval system. RSI's beginner documentation refers to spaceport vehicle retrieval consoles as ASOP Terminals.
How Do I Retrieve a Ship From ASOP?
Find the ship in the terminal, use Deliver first when required, then select Retrieve. After retrieval, read the assigned hangar or pad before leaving the terminal.
What Does Deliver Mean on ASOP?
Deliver is part of the process used to make a ship available for retrieval at the current location. RSI's current beginner guide explicitly instructs players to Deliver and then Retrieve their ship.
What Does Retrieve Mean?
Retrieve requests an available ship and sends it to an assigned hangar or pad. The ASOP terminal then tells you where the ship was sent.
What Does Store Mean?
Store is used for a ship that is currently present at the location and is being returned to that location's hangar/storage state. It is different from filing an insurance claim.
What Does Claim Mean?
Claim begins the insurance replacement process. RSI says claims are used when a ship or vehicle has been destroyed, stolen, stranded, or otherwise requires replacement.
Should I Claim My Ship If Retrieve Is Missing?
Not automatically.
Check whether the ship needs Deliver, whether ASOP is displaying an error, and whether a current Known Issue is affecting the terminal before filing an insurance claim.
Why Is the Deliver Button Missing?
Alpha 4.10.2 currently has a known issue where some ASOP terminals do not show Deliver. RSI has observed it at Levski and Checkmate and recommends restarting the game or trying another location.
Why Is My Rental Ship Missing From ASOP?
This is a current Alpha 4.10.2 Known Issue. RSI is working on a fix and says some players have reported success after a router restart and DNS flush.
What Should I Do If ASOP Says Failed to Retrieve Vehicle?
Read the error message first. RSI's current troubleshooting guidance recommends reporting persistent cases and says attempting retrieval from another location often resolves the current issue.
Why Do I Have Duplicate Ships in ASOP?
This is a documented issue. RSI currently recommends trying the duplicate with the highest numerical suffix because one of the listed copies may still be flyable.
Where Is the ASOP Terminal in My Personal Hangar?
RSI says there is an ASOP terminal near the elevators inside a Personal Hangar.
Can ASOP Send My Ship Somewhere Other Than My Personal Hangar?
Yes.
RSI says the terminal will tell you where the ship was sent and advises noting the assigned hangar pad when it was not sent to your Personal Hangar.
What Is Insure Loadout?
It is a current ASOP insurance option used to record an equipped ship loadout for insurance purposes. It is separate from simply delivering or retrieving the ship.
What Should I Do After Retrieving My Ship?
Note the assigned hangar or pad and travel there.
If you are unsure where the ship went, continue with How to Find Your Ship in Star Citizen.
Where to Go Next
Once ASOP confirms that your ship has been retrieved, stop working with the terminal.
Your next task is finding the hangar or pad to which the ship was assigned.
That makes the next article How to Find Your Ship in Star Citizen.
The beginner sequence is:
Personal Hangar → ASOP Terminal → Find Your Ship → Start Your Ship → Leave the Hangar
If you successfully reach the ship but do not know how to bring its systems online, How to Start Your Ship comes after that.
If ASOP itself is malfunctioning, move sideways into ASOP Terminal Not Working or Ship Won't Spawn, solve the problem, and then return to the normal beginner route.
Final Summary
The Star Citizen ASOP terminal is much easier to use once you stop treating every button as another way to spawn a ship.
For a normal first retrieval:
Deliver → Retrieve → read the assigned hangar → go to the ship.
Use Store when a locally landed ship needs to be put away.
Use Claim when the insurance replacement process is actually required—not merely because Deliver or Retrieve is temporarily unavailable.
In Alpha 4.10.2, also remember that some ASOP behavior may be affected by current bugs. RSI presently documents missing Deliver options, rental ships not appearing, retrieval errors, duplicate ship entries, and an Area18 ship-storage problem.
Once the terminal confirms retrieval, the ASOP task is finished.
Continue with How to Find Your Ship in Star Citizen.
How We Keep This Guide Updated
ASOP states, ship insurance, hangar retrieval behavior, and known bugs can change as Star Citizen develops.
This guide is reviewed against current first-party RSI/CIG documentation, with normal ASOP behavior kept separate from patch-specific workarounds.
