Begin every Sector Space save in a Tier 0 Skiff with 170 Hull HP, no shields, and no armor; pick the Infiltrator at your first Skill Training station, swap the starting mining laser for a Gauss Gun if you want to fight, and aim to reach the level-5 Yacht as the first real upgrade.
More context
The first hour of Sector Space is short on firepower but loaded with raw materials and free XP. Stay on the starter loop, scan everything in sight, and treat the run as a setup phase rather than a grind.
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What the Sector Space beginner guide starts with
You begin every new save piloting a Tier 0 Skiff with 170 Hull Hit Points, no shields, and no armor. The Skiff carries a Tier 0 Plasma Cannon (6.1 PH and 6.1 EM damage per shot, 30.9 energy per shot, 220 falloff range, 70% accuracy, 0.44/s rate of fire, 5.5 DPS) and a single Reactor. Cargo starts with 20 Canisters and a basic mining laser.
The opening Skiff has 2 equipment slots, so the first goal of any Sector Space beginner run is to reach the level-5 Yacht, which adds one weapon slot, one shield slot, one armor slot, one energy slot, and one module slot. That Yacht is the first ship that can actually tank a hostile Skiff or Half Tanker and still hold a mining laser.
Pick a class early at a Skill Training station
Each save offers four classes with hard-coded roles: Proprietor (Industrial/Economy, 6 fleet slots), Infiltrator (Ambush DPS, 2 fleet slots), Templar (Balanced, 4 fleet slots), and Sentinel (Tank, 3 fleet slots). Pick the Infiltrator on the first visit to a station with Skill Training to lock in a 100% rate-of-fire overclock on the first weapon slot (excluding mining weapons), faster first-shot bursts, and missile launchers that consume only one missile per salvo for 25% more damage.
You gain 6 Skill Points per level, and you start with 2 secondary skill slots. You unlock one more skill slot every 10 class levels, so by Class Level 80 you have 10 slots. Train Negotiation and Prospecting early; both unlock at level 10+ with a +1 Target Scanner Power tier that makes scans pick out targets faster.
Choose a mining or combat path
Mine in the Origin system
Stay in the Origin system on the first day if you want to mine safely; the surrounding asteroid belt is guarded by sector police, and Stoney and Ice asteroids are within reach of the starting mining beam.
Done when: You have a stockpile of Stoney or Ice ore and a working Reactor.
Switch to combat gear
Sell the starting mining laser at the nearest Industrial station, buy Deuterium Power Cells at a Capital station, then sell the Plasma Cannon at a Military station and buy a Gauss Gun with about 200 Small Rounds.
Done when: You have a Gauss Gun, 200 Small Rounds, Deuterium Power Cells, and no mining laser in cargo.
Pick the Infiltrator
Pick the Infiltrator class at a Skill Training station to lock in the 100% ROF overclock on your first weapon slot and the missile salvo bonus.
Done when: Your class is set to Infiltrator and the first weapon slot is overclocked.
Pick first targets carefully
Targets in the opening area are Skiffs, Half Tankers, Clippers, Tanker Mk I, and Schooners. Yachts are winnable but close. Do not engage Warthogs in a Skiff; they will destroy you.
Done when: You have a few wrecks scanned and at least one salvage pull recorded.
Scan aggressively to power-level
Scanning an unknown object (planet, ship, station, drone, or asteroid) gives experience for every type first scanned. The fastest way to earn early levels in Sector Space is to scan everything in sight on day one. Loot credit rewards go to the ship or fleet that dealt the most damage, so assist-only participants only receive a consolation payout. Focus your fire on one target at a time to claim its loot.
Expect the level-5 Yacht reward
Equipment rewards drop roughly every 5 levels when you next dock. The first such reward is a Yacht with 1 Weapon slot, 1 Shield slot, 1 Armor slot, 1 Energy slot, and 1 Module slot, but 0 Drive slots and 0 Device slots. Fit it with a Gauss/Plasma weapon (~17k), a Reactor (~20k), Armor Plates (~15k), Shields (~22k), and either an Offensive Module Mk 1 (~4k) or a Capacitor (~20k); the level-5 Yacht typically costs ~70k in credits plus the listed modules.