Star Citizen Reveals the Constellation Mk V Centaurus and Skylark

Cloud Imperium Games has officially revealed the RSI Constellation Mk V Centaurus, introducing the next generation of one of Star Citizen's longest-running ship families.

The Centaurus arrives alongside the RSI Skylark, a companion craft revealed with the new Constellation.

Both ships are being showcased through RSI Discovery Month, the event introduced with Star Citizen Alpha 4.10.2.

CIG is also giving players temporary pre-release access to the Centaurus and Skylark during the current event and LIVE feedback period, allowing the community to experience the new ships before their full release.

The Constellation Moves Into Its Next Generation

The Constellation has been part of Star Citizen for more than a decade.

Its Mk IV family covers several different roles through ships such as the Andromeda, Taurus, Aquila, and Phoenix, combining multicrew capability with cargo, combat, exploration, and luxury variants.

With the Mk V Centaurus, RSI is now introducing the next generation of the Constellation line.

CIG describes the Centaurus as a central part of Discovery Month, using the event to give players an early look at the next generation of the family.

The timing is deliberate.

Alpha 4.10.2 also includes a substantial rebuild of the existing Constellation Mk IV series, bringing the older ships up to current development standards while the Centaurus represents the next generation.

Rather than establishing that the Mk IV is being removed or replaced, CIG is currently presenting both generations alongside one another.

The RSI Skylark Accompanies the Centaurus

The Centaurus does not arrive alone.

CIG has also revealed the RSI Skylark, a companion craft associated with the Mk V Centaurus.

The pairing continues the Constellation family's long-running concept of a larger multicrew ship operating alongside a smaller companion craft.

For now, CIG's public Discovery Month material focuses on introducing the Centaurus and Skylark rather than providing a complete final specification breakdown for every system.

That makes it important not to treat community estimates or observations from the current build as permanent ship specifications.

The ships are being shown before their full release, and their handling, balance, systems, and implementation details may still change.

Players Can Try the Centaurus Before Release

One of the most notable parts of the reveal is that players do not have to wait for the full release to experience the new ships.

CIG's official Alpha 4.10.2 LIVE Feedback material states that players can experience the Centaurus and Skylark for free before release during the current Discovery Month and feedback period.

This is temporary pre-release access.

It does not represent permanent ownership, a pledge entitlement, or confirmation of the ships' eventual acquisition method.

The temporary access gives CIG a larger group of players to gather LIVE feedback from while making the Centaurus one of the central attractions of Discovery Month.

Discovery Month Is Built Around the New Constellation

RSI Discovery Month was introduced alongside Alpha 4.10.2 and is tied directly to the arrival of the next-generation Centaurus.

The event spans three primary activity categories:

• Defense
• Transport
• Collection

Players complete eligible missions to earn event points, progress through dedicated career tracks, and work toward event rewards.

That makes the Centaurus reveal more than a separate ship announcement placed alongside a patch.

CIG has built a wider RSI-themed event around the arrival of the next-generation Constellation while simultaneously updating the previous generation already used by players.

The Mk IV Constellation Is Also Receiving Major Work

The introduction of the Centaurus does not mean CIG has abandoned the Mk IV series.

Alpha 4.10.2 includes sweeping updates across the existing Constellation family.

CIG says the Mk IV has been “rebuilt to update the whole series to current standards.”

That work includes bridge and canopy updates, cockpit improvements, cargo-system changes, revised crew lifts and airlocks, habitation work, engineering and component access, snub-bay changes, turret updates, exterior-art improvements, and new damage states.

The Phoenix receives dedicated work to its VIP areas, while the Taurus receives cargo-specific changes.

AI-controlled and mission-specific Constellation variants have also been updated.

For existing owners, this means the arrival of the Mk V is happening alongside one of the most substantial updates to the Mk IV family in years.

Mk V Does Not Automatically Mean Mk IV Is Gone

The phrase “next-generation Constellation” naturally raises questions about what happens to the current ships.

At this stage, players should not assume that the introduction of the Mk V Centaurus means the Mk IV family is being removed, forcibly replaced, converted, or retired.

CIG is actively rebuilding the Mk IV ships in Alpha 4.10.2 rather than removing them from Star Citizen.

The company has also published a separate Constellation Mk IV Celebration, recognizing the existing generation as the next-generation Constellation enters the spotlight.

Any future retirement, sales, pledge-conversion, or replacement policy would need to be announced separately by CIG.

No such policy is established by the current Discovery Month material.

Why the Centaurus Reveal Matters

The Centaurus is significant because the Constellation is one of the ship families most closely associated with Star Citizen's early development.

The family has been redesigned and updated repeatedly as the game itself has changed.

A new Mk V generation gives CIG an opportunity to build around systems, interior standards, engineering requirements, and gameplay expectations that did not exist when the earliest Constellation versions were created.

At the same time, the Mk IV rebuild shows that CIG is not relying solely on new ships to meet those newer standards.

For players who already own a Constellation, the story is therefore broader than the arrival of a single new ship.

Alpha 4.10.2 marks a transition point for the wider Constellation line.

CIG Is Gathering LIVE Feedback

The Centaurus and Skylark already have an official Alpha 4.10.2 LIVE Feedback thread.

That is another reason not to treat the current implementation as final.

The ships are being exposed to a larger player base before full release, giving CIG an opportunity to evaluate player experience and collect feedback.

Specific handling, balance, systems, or implementation details may still change as that process continues.

For news coverage, the distinction remains straightforward:

The Centaurus and Skylark have been officially revealed and are currently available through temporary pre-release event and feedback access, but they should not yet be treated as fully released ships with finalized specifications or permanent acquisition terms.

What Comes Next?

The next major milestone will be CIG providing more information about the Centaurus and Skylark beyond their Discovery Month introduction.

That could include further specifications, availability details, or additional developer material.

CIG has not announced a final full-release date for the Centaurus or Skylark in the current Discovery Month material.

Until those details are published, exact release dates, sale dates, prices, or permanent ownership terms would be speculation.

What is already clear is that RSI's Constellation line is entering a new phase.

The Mk IV generation has received a major rebuild, the Mk V Centaurus has been introduced as the next generation of the Constellation line, and the Skylark joins it as its officially revealed companion craft.

For one of Star Citizen's oldest ship families, Discovery Month is both a celebration of its existing history and the first public look at its next generation.

Constellation Mk V Centaurus FAQ

What is the RSI Constellation Mk V Centaurus?

The Centaurus is CIG's newly revealed next-generation Constellation from Roberts Space Industries.

What is the RSI Skylark?

The Skylark is the companion craft officially revealed alongside the Centaurus.

Are the Centaurus and Skylark released?

Not as fully released ships. CIG is currently providing temporary pre-release access during the Alpha 4.10.2 Discovery Month and LIVE feedback period.

Can players fly them now?

Yes. CIG's official LIVE Feedback material says players can experience the Centaurus and Skylark for free before release during the current event period.

Does temporary access mean I own the ships?

No. Temporary Discovery Month and LIVE feedback access should not be confused with permanent ownership or a final acquisition method.

Is the Constellation Mk IV being removed?

CIG has not announced that the Mk IV family is being removed or retired. Alpha 4.10.2 includes a major rebuild of the existing Mk IV series.

When will the Centaurus fully release?

CIG has not announced a final full-release date in the current Discovery Month material.