TL;DR: Hold B in your pilot seat to show quantum travel (QT) markers and begin spooling your quantum drive. Click a destination marker to lock on, wait for the spool bar to fill, then press B again to jump. That's the whole loop. The sections below explain each step in detail and cover the Starmap, fuel, troubleshooting, and what to do when you get pulled out of QT mid-jump.

Last updated: May 2026 — Accurate for Star Citizen Alpha 4.x including the Stanton and Pyro systems.

Before You Can Quantum Travel

Quantum travel isn't available the moment you log in — a few conditions have to be true first. Make sure you have all of these sorted before you try to jump:

You are in a ship. Quantum travel is a ship function. You cannot QT on foot or in a ground vehicle.
You are in the pilot seat. Only the pilot controls quantum travel. If you are a passenger or in a gunner seat, you cannot initiate a jump.
Your quantum drive (QD) is functional. The quantum drive is a physical component in your ship. If it is damaged or destroyed, you cannot travel. Check the MobiGlas (F1) vehicle section or look at your ship's component health in the VehicleHUD.
You have quantum fuel. QT consumes quantum fuel (a separate tank from hydrogen fuel). If you are out of QT fuel, you cannot jump. Refuel at any Cry-Astro service station or major landing zone.
You are not inside a no-QT zone. Landing zones, hangars, and certain proximity areas around stations prevent quantum travel. You need to fly clear of these areas first — typically just a few kilometers away from the pad.

Pro tip for faster spools: Your ship's power triangle affects spool time. Turning off shields and weapons redirects power to engines and systems — this charges your quantum drive faster. Open the power management panel (check your in-game keybindings under Options → Flight) and push power toward Engines to spool as quickly as possible.

Player sitting in the pilot seat of a Star Citizen ship, HUD active and ready to initiate quantum travel

Step-by-Step: Basic Quantum Travel

This is the core quantum travel loop you will use every single session. Once you have done it a few times it becomes muscle memory.

Get airborne and clear the no-QT zone. Take off normally and fly away from the landing zone, station, or planet surface. You need a few kilometers of clear space before quantum travel becomes available. Your HUD will show a warning if you are still inside a restricted area.
Hold B to enter quantum travel mode and reveal QT markers. When you press and hold B, your ship begins spooling the quantum drive and nearby quantum travel destination markers appear in space as purple diamond icons. These markers float in 3D space around you — rotate your view to see them all.
Point your ship at a destination marker and click to lock on. Aim your crosshair (or your ship's nose) at the QT marker for your chosen destination. A targeting reticle will appear around it. Left-click to lock that destination. The marker will highlight and your HUD will show the destination name and estimated travel time.
Wait for the spool bar to complete. After locking a destination, your quantum drive spools up. Watch the circular spool indicator on your HUD — it fills from 0% to 100%. This typically takes 5–15 seconds depending on your ship, its quantum drive component, and your current power settings. Do not release B during this time.
Jump when prompted. Once the spool is complete, your HUD will display a "QUANTUM READY" prompt. At this point, press B again to initiate the jump. Your ship will shoot forward into the iconic blue quantum tunnel effect and travel toward your destination at incredible speed.
Arrive at your destination. Your ship decelerates automatically as it approaches the destination. You will drop out of quantum travel near the target location — a planet, moon, station, or jump point. From there, fly normally to your final stop.

Star Citizen quantum travel in progress — ship surrounded by the characteristic blue energy tunnel streaking through space

Key summary: Hold B → aim at marker → click to lock → wait for spool → press B to jump. That is the complete loop.

Using the Starmap

The quick-spool method above works perfectly for nearby destinations that show up as markers in space. But when you need to travel to a far destination, plot a multi-hop route, or navigate across the Stanton system (or into Pyro), you will want the full Starmap.

Opening the Starmap

Press F2 (default binding) while in the pilot seat to open the Starmap overlay. This pulls up a 3D map of the current star system showing all planets, moons, stations, jump points, and points of interest. You can pan, rotate, and zoom using your mouse.

Plotting a Route

Open the Starmap with F2.
Find your destination by navigating the map or using the search field. Click on any location — a planet, moon, station, or outpost — to select it.
Click "Set Destination" in the panel that appears. For destinations requiring multiple hops, the Starmap will automatically plot a multi-step route.
Close the Starmap with F2 again (or press Escape).
Your first waypoint will now appear as a QT marker in space. Follow the normal spool-and-jump process for each hop. When you arrive at the first waypoint, the Starmap will automatically cue up the next leg of the route.

Traveling to Pyro (Alpha 4.x)

In Alpha 4.x, the Pyro system is accessible from Stanton via jump points. To travel to Pyro:

Open the Starmap and find the Pyro Jump Point — it appears as a distinct icon near the outer edge of the Stanton system.
Set it as your destination and travel there via normal quantum travel hops.
When you arrive at the jump point, a unique jump sequence initiates, carrying you into the Pyro system.

Note: Pyro is a lawless system with significantly more danger. Make sure your ship is fueled, armed, and in good repair before making the trip.

Star Citizen Starmap open in the cockpit showing the Stanton system with planets, moons, and jump point destinations visible

Quantum Travel Tips

Speed Up Your Spool Time

The quantum drive spool is the main delay between deciding to jump and actually jumping. You can cut it down significantly:

Redirect power to engines. Open your power management controls (check your keybindings in Options → Flight, or use the in-cockpit panel) and push the power triangle toward Engines/Systems. This gives more power to the quantum drive and reduces spool time.
Turn off shields and weapons. You do not need these during a jump. The freed-up power goes directly to your QD.
Upgrade your quantum drive. A better quality quantum drive component spools faster, holds more QT fuel, and in some cases allows longer range jumps. Check ship component vendors at major stations.

Managing Quantum Fuel

Quantum fuel is separate from hydrogen fuel (which powers your thrusters and guns). Keep an eye on the QT fuel gauge on your HUD.
Refuel at Cry-Astro service stations — look for the orange Cry-Astro branding at major stations and orbiting locations throughout Stanton. Refueling is cheap and fast.
You can also refuel at major landing zones (Area18, Lorville, New Babbage, Orison) at the refueling terminals or by landing and requesting service.

Safe Zone Restrictions

You cannot initiate quantum travel inside Armistice zones (certain landing areas) or in close proximity to large structures. Fly out to open space first.
Your HUD will display a "Quantum Drive Disabled" or "Restricted Area" warning when quantum travel is unavailable. Simply fly further out until the restriction clears.
Planet atmospheres also block quantum travel. You must be in space, clear of the upper atmosphere, before a QT jump is possible.

Travel Times

Short hops within the same planetary body's orbit take 30 seconds to a few minutes.
Cross-system travel within Stanton (e.g., Crusader to microTech) takes several minutes.
Long-range destinations and multi-hop routes can take 10–20+ minutes of total travel time.
You can leave your ship on autopilot during a quantum jump — step away and come back when you arrive.

Troubleshooting Common Quantum Travel Problems

Quantum Drive Won't Spool

Check that you are in the pilot seat. Passengers and gunners cannot initiate QT.
Check for a Restricted Area message. Fly further away from the nearest structure, planet surface, or landing zone.
Check your quantum drive component. If it is damaged (orange or red in the vehicle HUD), it may be too damaged to function. Find a repair shop or use a ship repair terminal.
Check your QT fuel level. An empty QT tank prevents spooling. Refuel at a Cry-Astro or landing zone.

No QT Markers Appear When I Hold B

You may be too close to a planet or station — the markers are suppressed in restricted zones. Fly further out.
Your quantum drive may not be powered. Open the ship's systems panel and verify the QD component is online.
Check your keybindings in the Options menu to confirm B is still mapped to "Hold Quantum Travel".

Quantum Jump Gets Interrupted Mid-Travel

If your jump is interrupted, one of two things happened:

You took significant damage to the quantum drive during the jump (rare but possible from environmental hazards). Inspect your ship's component health and repair if needed.
You were quantum interdicted. See the "Quantum Interdiction" section below — this is a player or NPC attack specifically designed to pull ships out of QT.

Arrived at the Wrong Location

Double-check your locked destination before jumping. The destination name appears in your HUD when you lock on — read it carefully before pressing B.
Some markers have similar-sounding names (e.g., multiple stations near the same planet). Use the Starmap for precision navigation.

Close-up of the Star Citizen pilot HUD with a quantum travel destination locked, showing the destination name, distance, and spool charging indicator

Quantum Interdiction

Quantum interdiction is when a player or NPC uses the RSI Mantis or another interdiction-capable ship to forcibly pull you out of quantum travel. It is the Star Citizen equivalent of being yanked out of warp — you drop into normal space, usually right next to the ship that interdicted you.

What Interdiction Looks Like

You will see a visual distortion and hear an audio cue indicating your QT is being disrupted.
Your ship drops out of the quantum tunnel into normal space.
A hostile ship (or NPC pirate) will typically be very close by, ready to engage.

What to Do When Interdicted

Do not panic. You are in normal space. All your ship systems still work.
Assess the threat. Is it an NPC pirate or a player? Check your contacts panel.
Option 1 — Fight back. If your ship is combat-capable, engage the attacker. Destroying or disabling the interdicting ship will let you re-spool and continue.
Option 2 — Flee. Boost away from the interdicting ship at maximum thrust. Once you are far enough from the interdiction field, you can spool your QD again and escape. Putting distance between you and the attacker weakens the interdiction field.
Option 3 — Comply (if necessary). In some situations, compliance is the only viable option. NPC pirates may demand a fee or cargo. Player pirates vary.
Re-spool when clear. Once the interdiction field is no longer active (the attacker is destroyed or you have flown out of range), hold B and select a new destination to escape.

Prevention tip: Interdiction is most common along well-traveled routes and near known pirate zones (especially in Pyro). If you are carrying valuable cargo, consider scouting your route on the Starmap and choosing less-traveled waypoints where possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

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How to Do Missions in Star Citizen — Your first earning missions explained.
Getting Started in Star Citizen — New player orientation guide.
Is Star Citizen Worth It in 2026? — Honest assessment before you buy.

How to Quantum Travel in Star Citizen