Direct answer
To upgrade your ship in Solarpunk, remember that the game’s ship is your Airship: work through the Traderbot trade chain, complete the Airship upgrade milestone, then return to your dock and apply the upgrade from the dock panel.
The most common mistake is stopping after the trade. The trade gives you the upgrade step, but your ship range does not expand until you go back and apply it at the dock.
How to upgrade your ship / Airship
- Build and use your first Airship.
- Reach Traderbot and continue the trade chain.
- Complete the Airship upgrade milestone that appears in the trade chain.
- Fly back to your base.
- Dock your Airship.
- Open the dock panel.
- Select the upgrade action.
- Check the map range circle before flying to the next ring of islands.
Airship upgrade milestones
| Milestone | Requirement | What to do next | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| First major range upgrade | 32 Copper through Traderbot | Return to your dock and apply the upgrade, then search the next ring for Wheat and quartz. | June 16, 2026 |
| Next farming-linked upgrade | 6 Eggs through Traderbot | Build a stable Chicken loop, save the first Eggs, then apply the upgrade at your dock. | June 16, 2026 |
| Later outer-island progress | Later Tradebot and resource gates | Prepare for carrots, sunflowers, Cobalt, pigs, and stronger automation routes. | June 16, 2026 |
Why your Airship upgrade is unavailable
Check these issues first:
You have not reached the right Traderbot trade
Traderbot trades are sequential. If the upgrade reward is not showing, continue the earlier trade requirements first.
You traded but did not apply the upgrade
After the trade, go back home, dock the Airship, open the dock panel, and apply the upgrade. If your range did not expand, this missed dock step is the first thing to check.
You are looking at an island outside your current range
Use the map range circle as your guide. If the destination sits outside the current circle, finish the next upgrade milestone before trying to fly there.
You are in co-op and using the wrong Airship
Airships are personal in co-op. A friend’s Airship progress does not automatically replace your own.
What to gather before the first upgrade
For the first major range upgrade, prioritize Copper. Bring a Pickaxe, mine more Copper than the exact milestone if your inventory allows it, and return safely.
Copper also feeds energy and crafting systems, so extra Copper is rarely wasted early.
What to do after the 32 Copper upgrade
After applying the first range upgrade, start looking for:
- Wheat, which feeds farming, Bread, Animal Feed, and Chicken progress
- Quartz, which leads toward Silicon and research progress
- more off-island resources and chests
Do not fly home too quickly after the upgrade. The point of the new range is to scout the next resource ring.
What to do before the 6 Egg upgrade
Eggs come from a working Chicken loop, so prepare before you need them:
- unlock the first animal setup
- grow enough Wheat for Animal Feed pressure
- keep Chickens fed, watered, and sheltered
- save the first six Eggs for Airship progress instead of spending them casually
If Eggs are not appearing, read How to Get Chickens and check food, water, shelter, and placement.
Co-op note
If you play with friends, each player should treat Airship progress as personal. A group can still coordinate resource runs, but every player who wants independent travel should build and upgrade their own Airship.