The Nomad is a new single-seat, exploration-focused ship-launched vessel in Elite Dangerous featuring helicopter-style landing skids, swiveling engine nacelles for vertical landing, and light armament likely intended for defense or scientific use. Set for early access release on June 30th, it raises questions about deployment logistics and boarding methods, with Frontier hinting at undisclosed advanced capabilities that have sparked community speculation.
At the beginning of June, Frontier announced the Nomad, a new class of ship-launched vessel (SLV) in Elite Dangerous designed specifically for exploration and capable of landing in tight planetary spaces. The Nomad is a small, single-seat craft with a cockpit for one commander. Unlike other planetary-landing ships, it lacks retractable landing gear and instead uses helicopter-style landing skids. Its engine nacelles can swivel to direct thrust for flight or vertical landing, and the engines slide vertically to prevent thrust interference, similar to the Panther Clipper’s design.
The Nomad appears to be lightly armed with two forward-facing weapons resembling the repeater gun found on the Scorpion SRV’s roof turret. However, it is unlikely to compete with current ship-launched fighters in combat. These weapons might be intended for last-resort defense or for scientific purposes, such as shooting materials off aggressive flora known as brain trees. Additionally, there is speculation that the Nomad could have advanced scientific capabilities, including the ability to track biological signals on planetary surfaces, aiding explorers in locating organic samples more efficiently.
Deployment of the Nomad raises questions, especially for explorers far from shipyards. While it is expected to fit into any ship with an SLF hangar, many exploration ships, such as the Caspian, lack this feature by default. It remains unclear whether purchasing the Nomad through ARX will include SLF bay installation or if a shipyard visit will be necessary. Furthermore, commanders may wonder if they can swap the Nomad into an existing SLF bay without additional shipyard trips, or if more logistical steps will be required.
Frontier has yet to reveal how players will enter the Nomad. The community has proposed several possibilities, including teleporting directly into the cockpit, using a side menu similar to the SRV, entering through a blue teleport tunnel inside the ship (akin to the Lynx Hauler’s design), or simply walking through sliding doors into a fully rendered cockpit interior. The latter option, while potentially complex for developers, would offer a more immersive experience by allowing players to physically enter the small ship rather than teleporting.
The Nomad is set to enter ARX early access on June 30th as part of the Operations update. The developers have hinted there is more to the ship than currently revealed, sparking curiosity about its full capabilities and features. The video encourages viewers to share their thoughts on how they believe the Nomad will function, including its boarding method and scientific tools, while promising further coverage and previews as they become available.