After establishing your base in Solarpunk, one of the biggest progression milestones is unlocking airship travel. Your starting island contains only a portion of the resources you’ll need, so eventually you’ll have to venture to other floating islands. The airship serves as your primary method of exploration, transportation, and progression throughout the game.
Quick overview of airship upgrade in Solarpunk
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Main Vehicle | Airship |
| Unlock Requirement | Research Table progression |
| Required Structure | Airship Dock |
| Purpose | Travel between floating islands |
| Upgrade Method | Airship Upgrade item |
| Upgrade Source | Trader trades and blueprints |
| Benefits | Increased travel distance and access to new islands |
How airship progression works
In Solarpunk, your initial airship has a limited travel range. While it can reach nearby locations, many valuable islands remain inaccessible until you improve its capabilities. Airship upgrades increase the distance your vehicle can travel, allowing you to discover new resources, crops, materials, and progression systems.
The game’s progression loop revolves around exploring islands, gathering resources, trading with the merchant, unlocking new blueprints, and continuously improving your airship to access even more distant locations.
Locations involved in airship progression
The journey begins on your starter island, where you’ll gather materials and build your first Airship Dock. Once airborne, you’ll visit nearby floating islands and eventually locate the Trader’s massive airship, which acts as a progression hub. Many advanced blueprints and airship upgrades are tied to this trader, making regular visits essential as you unlock more distant regions of the world.
How to build your first airship
Step 1
Unlock and build a Research Table. This is the foundation of most early-game progression and is required to access the Airship Dock research path.
Step 2
Research and unlock the Airship Dock blueprint through the research system. The Airship Dock becomes available during the early technology progression.
Step 3
Gather the required resources for the dock:
| Resource | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wood | 40 |
| Cloth | 3 |
| Iron | 20 |
Build the Airship Dock near the edge of your island.
Step 4
Collect the resources needed for the actual airship.
| Resource | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cloth | 3 |
| Iron | 10 |
| Crashed Airship Component | 1 |
You can obtain the crashed component by salvaging wrecked airship debris found on the starter island.
Step 5
Craft the airship at your dock and launch your first expedition to nearby islands.
How to reach the next islands
Step 1
Open your map and identify nearby islands within your current travel range.
Step 2
Fly toward the destination while monitoring your available range.
Step 3
Look for a wooden Airship Dock platform on the target island.
Step 4
Approach the dock and interact with it to land safely. Players can dock by moving close to the platform and using the interaction key when prompted.
Step 5
Gather new resources, harvest unique materials, and search for additional progression opportunities before returning home.
How to upgrade your airship
Upgrading your airship is essential because many islands sit beyond the range of the starter model. To increase travel distance, you’ll need an Airship Upgrade item. Once installed, your airship gains access to farther destinations.
Step 1
Locate the Trader’s airship. The trader does not spawn on your starting island and must be reached using your airship.
Step 2
Dock at the Trader’s airship and begin completing trades.
Step 3
Provide requested materials such as crops, copper, iron, cotton, and other resources to unlock new blueprints.
Step 4
Continue progressing through the trader’s blueprint chain until you obtain an Airship Upgrade item.
Step 5
Apply the upgrade to your airship and increase its travel range, allowing access to more distant islands.
Airship upgrade rewards
| Reward | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Increased Travel Distance | Reach farther islands |
| New Resources | Access advanced materials |
| More Blueprint Opportunities | Unlock additional technologies |
| Faster Progression | Continue story and automation development |
| Trader Access | Complete higher-tier trades |
Common progression issues
Some players have reported situations where the Airship Upgrade option appears greyed out despite owning the blueprint. Developers have acknowledged this as a known issue, and reloading the game has served as a temporary workaround for many affected players.
Another common problem is running short on iron before constructing the dock. The starting island contains additional iron deposits, including renewable deposits near ponds and sandy areas that can help players gather enough resources to continue progressing.
Reaching every island in Solarpunk
The key to reaching new islands in Solarpunk is continuously upgrading your airship through trader progression. Build your Airship Dock as early as possible, visit the Trader regularly, complete blueprint trades, and secure Airship Upgrades whenever they become available. Each upgrade expands your exploration range, opening access to new floating islands, resources, and technologies that drive the rest of the game’s progression.
