The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2956 (IAE) opens on November 13, 2026 in New Babbage on microTech and runs until November 27. Star Citizen is free to play for the entire 15 days, so anyone can download the game and fly without buying a game package. CIG announced the dates on Spectrum on November 6.
IAE is the biggest ship show of the year. Over 200 ships and ground vehicles can be rented free from kiosks on the show floor, each manufacturer gets its own days, and new ships are revealed as the show goes on. This year RSI leads the event and the long-awaited RSI Galaxy makes its debut. Below is the full manufacturer schedule and what a new player should do with the free weeks.
The basics: when, where, what is free
The expo is held in New Babbage, the snow-covered city on microTech in the Stanton system. It runs from November 13 to November 27. Throughout that window Star Citizen is free to play, which means you can create an RSI account, install the game and log in without pledging for a ship or starter pack.
Inside the expo hall you can look at the latest vehicles from the major manufacturers and take them out via the rental kiosks. CIG puts the number at more than 200 ships and ground vehicles. Rental access for each manufacturer unlocks on that manufacturer’s designated days, so what you can fly changes through the event until the finale, when everything is available at once. CIG also lists exclusive IAE armor, vehicle paints and in-game items as pick-ups during the show.
Manufacturer schedule for IAE 2956
CIG published the pledge and free rental schedule as a graphic in its Countdown to IAE Comm-Link. Each manufacturer’s ships go on sale and become rentable on the days listed, and days overlap by one so there is always more than one hall open. Dates below are as shown on that graphic; CIG says the full lineup of ships per day will be filled in as the show approaches.
- November 13 to 14 (days 1 to 2): Roberts Space Industries
- November 14 to 15 (days 2 to 3): Origin Jumpworks
- November 15 to 16 (days 3 to 4): Anvil Aerospace
- November 16 to 17 (days 4 to 5): Crusader Industries and Tumbril
- November 17 to 18 (days 5 to 6): Drake Interplanetary
- November 18 to 19 (days 6 to 7): Argo Astronautics, Consolidated Outland, Greycat Industrial and one more small vehicle maker
- November 19 to 20 (days 7 to 8): Kruger Intergalactic, Mirai and MISC
- November 20 to 21 (days 8 to 9): Aegis Dynamics
- November 21 to 22 (days 9 to 10): Aopoa, Banu, Esperia and Gatac
- November 22 (day 10): Best in Show
- November 23 to 27 (days 11 to 15): Finale, the last chance to try every IAE vehicle for free
New ships: the RSI Galaxy and the Anvil Liberator
RSI opens the show and brings the headline ship. The RSI Galaxy, a large modular multi-crew ship for a crew of six, arrives at IAE with its cargo and medical modules available to all players, according to CIG’s Behind the Ships video published on November 9. Refinery and base-building modules are planned for later, once those gameplay systems exist in the game. It caps a busy year for RSI that already included the Hermes, two new Auroras, the Constellation Mk V Centaurus and the Skylark.
Anvil Aerospace looks set to release the Liberator at the show as well. CIG’s October 2026 monthly report says the ship had its final review in preparation for release at IAE, which puts it on Anvil’s days, November 15 to 16. Anything else revealed during the event will be new information; CIG only promises that new ships and surprises will appear throughout the show.
November 22 is Best in Show day. That ties back to Ship Showdown 2956, which the RSI Perseus won in September. CIG said at the time that the Final Four ships would get Best in Show paints and coins at IAE, and that the ships would be on sale during the expo.
Which patch will IAE run on
IAE content is part of Alpha 4.10.3, which as of November 6 was still on the Public Test Universe (PTU), the separate test servers where backers try patches before release. CIG’s PTU patch notes list IAE as a testing focus on an accelerated schedule, and the live servers are still on 4.10.2. CIG has not given a date for 4.10.3 going live, but the expo opens on November 13, so expect the patch to land before or on that day.
If you are installing the game fresh for the event, the RSI Launcher 2.19.2 released on November 9 adds an optional shader compilation step at the end of an install. CIG says it can take anywhere from 7 to more than 30 minutes depending on your computer, and that it only works fully with game version 4.10.3 and later. Letting it run before you enter the game should mean a smoother first session on the show floor.
How to make the most of the free weeks
Treat the schedule as a flight plan. If a particular ship interests you, note its manufacturer’s days and rent it then, because that is the only window before the finale. The last five days are the catch-up period when every IAE vehicle is rentable at once, which is the best time for comparisons between ships from different makers.
Rentals are free but the ships are the same as owned ships in every other way, so a crash costs you nothing except the walk back to the kiosk. Expect the servers to be busy, especially on opening day and whenever a new ship is revealed. Star Citizen is still an alpha, and free fly events bring in a lot of players at once, so bugs and queues are part of the experience.
What this means for new players
A free fly is the ideal time to find out whether Star Citizen is for you before spending anything. You will need an RSI account to log in, and if you later decide to buy a game package, remember that a referral code can only be applied within 24 hours of creating the account, not afterwards, so set that up on day one even if you are not sure yet. Use the rental kiosks to try small single-seat ships first, since the large ships in the headlines take a crew to use properly. Nothing on the show floor needs to be bought to enjoy the event. Our Star Citizen referral code guide explains how the 50,000 UEC signup bonus works and how to apply code STAR-6WPK-3K56 before you enlist.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2956 runs from November 13 to November 27, 2026 in New Babbage, microTech. That is 15 days, with a finale from November 23 to 27.
Yes. CIG says Star Citizen is free to play throughout the entire event, from November 13 to November 27, 2026. You need an RSI account and the game download but no game package.
Over 200 ships and ground vehicles can be rented free from the show floor kiosks. Each manufacturer’s ships unlock on its scheduled days, and all of them are available together during the finale from November 23 to 27.
The RSI Galaxy debuts with its cargo and medical modules, and CIG’s October report says the Anvil Liberator had its final review ahead of release at IAE. CIG says more reveals will follow during the show.
No. The kiosk rentals are free test flights for the event. Ships bought during the show are kept, and RSI and other manufacturers’ ships go on sale on their scheduled days.
Source: Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2956: Save the Date!. Dates and the schedule come from CIG’s IAE 2956 Save the Date post on Spectrum and the Countdown to IAE 2956 Comm-Link; ship details come from the RSI Galaxy Behind the Ships video and the October 2026 monthly report.
