The dates, location and Free Fly are official: the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2956 runs from November 13 to 27 at the Tobin Expo Center in New Babbage, and Star Citizen is free to play the whole time. CIG has also published the manufacturer days. Which new ships arrive on which day isn’t official yet, though, except for the Galaxy and Liberator (as of November 7, 2026). That info comes from Evocati playtests, leaks and rumors. It’s likely, but it can still change. As soon as CIG announces more, this page will be updated.
That’s why uncertain details are marked. The fuller the circle, the more likely:
from vague rumor · · · to almost certain
Every November, Star Citizen gets crowded: the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, or IAE for short, is a big ship expo in the ‘verse. Every day, a different manufacturer takes center stage, and there are new ships to see and to rent. Most of the time, CIG also runs a Free Fly event, so you can try the game without owning a game package.
The essentials at a glance
| Dates | November 13 to 27, 2026 (announcement) |
| Location | Tobin Expo Center, New Babbage on microTech (on the PTU) |
| Free Fly | yes, Star Citizen is free to play for the entire expo |
| Headliners | RSI Galaxy, Anvil Liberator |
After Orison last year, it’s back into the cold: the Tobin Expo Center already hosted the IAE from 2950 to 2954.
Manufacturer days
Each manufacturer gets two days, overlapping by one day with the next manufacturer. During that time, you can rent their ships for free, and they’re also for sale in the Pledge Store.
| Date | Manufacturer | New ships |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 13–14 | RSI | Galaxy, Constellation Mk V Andromeda , Skylark standalone |
| Nov 14–15 | Origin | – |
| Nov 15–16 | Anvil | Liberator |
| Nov 16–17 | Crusader, Tumbril | – |
| Nov 17–18 | Drake | Marauder |
| Nov 18–19 | Argo, Consolidated Outland, Greycat, Grey’s Market | – |
| Nov 19–20 | Kruger, Mirai, MISC | – |
| Nov 20–21 | Aegis | – |
| Nov 21–22 | Aopoa, Banu, Esperia, Gatac | Hyūn |
| Nov 22 | Best in Show | – |
| Nov 23–27 | Finale | – |
The manufacturer days are official. Which new ship arrives on which day comes from leaks, though; only the Galaxy and Liberator are confirmed. The leaked dates match the official manufacturer days exactly, however.
The Auxilia and MFC were originally on the list as well. According to a datamine from October 29, though, both have disappeared from the expo halls, and the Centurion and MDC now stand in their spots . More on that below with the two vehicles.
You can look at every ship in the exhibition halls right from the start. Renting, however, is limited to the ships of the manufacturers currently on. So if there’s a particular ship you want to take for a test flight, make a note of its manufacturer’s days. Missed it? During the Finale from November 23 to 27, you can test-fly every IAE vehicle.
The new ships
RSI Galaxy
The Galaxy is the star of the show. CIG already announced that in a livestream back in November 2025. It was first revealed as a concept at IAE 2952, and lots of players have been waiting for it ever since. Together with the Liberator, it’s one of the most anticipated ships of the expo.
The Galaxy is a large, modular multi-role ship: an exchangeable module sits in the middle of the hull and defines what the ship does.
| Size | Large, 110 × 60 × 22 m |
| Crew | up to 6 |
| Hangar | rear hangar for one XXS ship, plus 64 SCU of cargo |
| Weapons | 3 remote turrets with 2 × S5 each, missiles for the pilot |
These modules are planned so far:
- Cargo module: an extra 512 SCU and a cargo lift for two 32 SCU containers
- Medical module: one tier 1 bed, two tier 2 beds and three tier 3 beds
- Refinery module: two reactors, bigger than the Expanse’s. Fewer jobs at once, but more material per job.
- Later: a base building module, a fabrication module and further modules have been mentioned.
The plan is that you don’t swap modules on the go, but at stations with the right equipment. Until that’s in, you’ll probably swap them through the mobiGlas at your home location, just like the modules of other ships .
Without a module, the middle section stays empty, but it’s sealed airtight.
The pilot only fires missiles. For the turrets, you need a crew.
Development status: The Galaxy finished its greybox phase in September 2026, and according to the October monthly report, its final review followed in October. Along the way, it got a new RSI interface for its control panels, which is set to show up in other ships soon.
RSI Constellation Mk V Andromeda
The Andromeda shows up on a leaked IAE floor plan that has been going around since August 2026. So after the Centaurus, the next variant of the new Constellation generation is probably on its way .
Nothing more is officially known yet: no components, no stats, no price.
Anvil Liberator
The Liberator is a light carrier: it transports small ships and ground vehicles and brings them where they’re needed. It was revealed five years ago at CitizenCon 2951. Next to the Galaxy, it’s the ship most people are looking forward to. It was actually expected in 2027, but now it’s official: according to the October monthly report, it’s being prepared for release at this year’s IAE.
| Size | Large, 119 × 67 × 25 m |
| Crew | 1–2, plus quarters for pilots coming along |
| Cargo | 400 SCU in secured cargo holds |
| Weapons | one remote turret on top, missiles, tractor beam |
Ships land in the open on the deck. In total, there are three landing pads and a garage:
- Two landing pads on top for XS ships, so most single-seat fighters like the Arrow, Hornet or Sabre, plus the Prospector.
- One landing pad up front and the garage for ground vehicles up to the Tumbril Nova and Anvil Ballista, or XXS ships like the MPUV or 85X.
Ships on the deck come along on quantum jumps. They aren’t fully protected by the shields, though, because they’re only partly inside the shield area.
Its range is extremely high for its size, thanks to very large tanks.
Development status: It passed its final review in October 2026.
Anvil Auxilia
The Auxilia is a ground vehicle based on the Atlas and is meant to serve as a small mobile base. CIG officially confirmed it in November 2025. It was already shown as a silhouette at CitizenCon 2024.
| Size | 17 × 7 × 5.5 m |
| Crew | 1 |
| Equipment | tier 2 medbed, a fabricator |
CIG hasn’t released any further specs yet.
According to a datamine from October 29, the Auxilia has been taken out of the expo halls . Its vehicle fabrication belongs to Alpha 5.0, so it will probably only arrive with that patch .
Drake Marauder
So far, only the name of the Marauder is known. It was on a list of ship names that leaked in August 2026, and it shows up in the datamined files on Drake day .
It will probably be a medium or heavy fighter . Its role, size and stats aren’t official yet, though. So Drake stays mysterious until the expo.
Greycat MFC
The MFC is a small fabrication ground vehicle from Greycat’s MXC line. CIG announced it at IAE 2955, and the first proper image came out in August 2026.
| Size | 8.75 × 6 × 5 m |
| Crew | 1 |
| Cargo | 2 SCU |
The rear opens up and reveals the fabricator, which stays protected by a shield. The idea: you build things right where you find the resources. The MFC should also handle rough terrain well.
Like the Auxilia, the MFC has also disappeared from the expo halls according to a datamine from October 29 . It’s probably waiting for Alpha 5.0 as well .
Gatac Hyūn
It looks like the Hyūn will be a salvager : a first version of the PTU patch notes from November 4 listed it among the salvage ships, with a 40 SCU material buffer and boxes up to 8 SCU. That would put it between the Vulture and the Moth. CIG deleted the line shortly afterwards.
Gatac is the Xi’an manufacturer behind the Syulen and Railen. So the Hyūn would be another alien ship.
Already in the game: Constellation Mk V Centaurus and Skylark
You don’t have to wait for the expo to see two of the new ships: the Constellation Mk V Centaurus and its snub, the Skylark, have been in the game since Alpha 4.10.2 (October 9, 2026). During RSI Discovery Month, you could first rent the Centaurus through a mission, and since October 14 you can buy it. Right now, though, it’s only available for real money in the Pledge Store, you can’t buy it in-game with aUEC yet.
Constellation Mk V Centaurus
The Centaurus takes over the role of the old Andromeda: a medium freighter with plenty of firepower. It’s bigger, more heavily armed and has a lot more cargo space.
| Size | 82.5 × 47.5 × 20.25 m |
| Crew | 4, with four beds |
| Cargo | 240 SCU, containers up to 32 SCU |
| Pilot weapons | 4 × S5, plus 32 size 2 missiles |
| Turrets | 2 remote turrets (top and bottom), 4 × S3 each |
| Shields | 2 × S3 |
Instead of a ramp, it has a cargo lift on the underside. It fits vehicles up to and including the Tumbril Nova.
RSI Skylark
The Skylark is a single-seat snub fighter that docks at the rear of the Centaurus’ underside. It’s very small, and the pilot lies down inside. At the IAE, it’s supposed to become available on its own as well .
| Size | 7 × 6.5 × 3.5 m |
| Weapons | 3 × S2, plus 10 size 1 missiles |
| Quantum drive | none |
Without a quantum drive, it stays close to its mothership.
Docking only works while the Centaurus is flying. If it’s landed, the Skylark has to wait.
Ship Showdown rewards
The four finalists of Ship Showdown 2956 get their rewards during the IAE. Each of the four ships gets a Best in Show paint and a challenge coin:
- RSI Perseus (winner)
- Drake Ironclad Assault (2nd place)
- Origin M80
- Drake Corsair
If you own the Perseus, you also get an in-game bomber jacket.
The four get their big moment on November 22, Best in Show day.
You only get the paints for ships that are in your hangar on the last day of the IAE (November 27).
Is the Banu Merchantman coming?
In the test version of the expo halls, players found a spot for a hologram next to the elevators. Around it: a large Banu logo and blank signs.
Many see this as a hint at the long-awaited Banu Merchantman . Not for this expo, but maybe for IAE 2027 ? After all, there was a similar hologram before the Drake Kraken was revealed at DefenseCon.
According to the October monthly report, two artists have been assigned to restart development of the Merchantman. When it was paused, the interior was in whitebox and the exterior in greybox. Now CIG is reworking the whole ship to fit the new player trading design. There’s no timeline yet, though, and in interviews the developers stress that they’d rather release the Merchantman finished than rushed.
Whether IAE 2027 works out is still open. But hope costs nothing … unlike the Merchantman.