To board a ship in Starfield, you first have to disable it, then get close enough to dock, and finally clear the crew inside to claim it.

How to Board a Ship in Starfield

Basic Requirements

  • Have a combat-capable ship with decent shields and weapons so you can target specific systems without instantly blowing the enemy up.
  • Invest in the Targeting Control Systems skill so you can enter targeting mode and precisely hit engines.
  • For higher-class ships (B and C), you’ll also want ranks in the Piloting skill so you can actually fly them once captured.

Step-by-Step: Boarding in Space

1. Find and engage an enemy ship

  • Look for pirate, Spacer, or hostile faction ships during normal space travel or mission encounters.
  • Approach and lock onto the target (E on PC or A on controller).

2. Enter targeting mode and disable engines

  • With the enemy locked, enter targeting mode (e.g., by pressing the button tied to Targeting Control Systems).
  • Ships usually have shields; first, focus your weapons on shields until they drop. Lasers and missiles help strip them quickly.
  • After shields are down, cycle through subsystems and select engines.
  • Fire in controlled bursts so you disable the engines instead of destroying the whole ship. Your crew will often call out when the engines are crippled.

Think of it like surgically shooting out the tires of a car, not blowing up the entire vehicle.

3. Make sure it’s the last hostile ship

  • You can only board when that vessel is the final hostile ship in the area. If others are still attacking you, finish them off first.

4. Close in to docking range

  • Keep the disabled ship targeted (E on PC or A on controller).
  • Fly to within roughly 500 meters ; once you’re close enough, a Dock/Board prompt appears in your HUD.
  • On PC, hold R to dock; on controller, hold the on-screen prompt (often X/Y , depending on context).

5. Dock and board

  • After docking, confirm that you want to board the enemy vessel.
  • The game transitions you into the airlock of the other ship, just like entering a station or outpost.

Clearing the Ship and Capturing It

6. Sweep the interior

  • Move room by room and eliminate all hostiles: crew, security, turrets.
  • Some ships have tricky layouts (multi-deck corridors, cargo bays, engineering rooms), so check corners and small control rooms.
  • Combat inside the ship doesn’t stop it from eventually taking off if it was landed, so be quick if you boarded on a planet.

7. Take the cockpit

  • Once you’ve cleared resistance, head to the cockpit.
  • Sit in the pilot’s chair; this effectively gives you control of the ship.

8. Claim the ship properly

  • Before flying away, check the cargo hold for contraband so you don’t get flagged and fined when jumping to major systems.
  • Make at least one Grav jump in the captured ship to fully add it to your owned ships list.
  • Your old ship isn’t lost; it’s still available when you visit a spaceport ship services technician.

Skills and Tips to Make Boarding Easier

  • Targeting Control Systems
    • Rank this up early; it shortens the lock-on time and lets you more reliably hit engines without ruining the hull.
  • Piloting
    • Needed for flying higher-class vessels you steal; without it, you can’t fully take advantage of big, fancy ships you board.
  • Combat and survivability
    • Perks that boost health, armor, and weapon damage matter a lot inside tight corridors where enemies can flank you quickly.
  • Don’t overkill
    • Use lower power on weapons or fewer weapon groups once shields are down, so you don’t accidentally destroy the target ship.

Boarding Landed Ships (Planet-side)

While your main question is about how to board a ship, it’s worth noting that some players like to rush landed ships on planets:

  • Sprint or boost pack straight for the ramp/hatch as soon as it touches down, ignoring enemies outside when possible.
  • Board quickly before the ship can lift back off; combat outside does not automatically prevent boarding, but some scripted ships can’t be taken.

Extra Uses: Looting vs. Owning

You don’t always have to keep a boarded ship; you can:

  • Loot the interior and then leave in your original ship.
  • Steal and sell the ship for credits after registering it with a ship services tech at a starport.
  • Add it to your fleet as your new main ship, especially if it has better shields, cargo, or weapon hardpoints.

Quick Recap

  • Disable shields → target and cripple engines.
  • Ensure it’s the last active hostile ship in the area.
  • Close to within docking range, then use the Dock/Board prompt.
  • Clear the crew, sit in the pilot’s chair, make a Grav jump, and then register or use the ship as you like.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.