Corrupted Data and Decoded Data are the two mineable data resources in Star Trek Fleet Command, and both come only from the Augment systems of the Vaara Expanse (the game also calls it the Vaaran Expanse). Corrupted Data is mined at Corrupted Data Accelerators in nine systems from Rainsford (level 20) to Ifrea-3 (level 32). Decoded Data is mined at Decoded Data Accelerators in seven systems from Paradane (level 27) to Yarda (level 36). Both are exchanged in the Augment store, and the Botany Bay is the ship built to mine them.
Corrupted Data locations
All nine Corrupted Data systems belong to the Augment faction and sit close to home, at warp 7 to 23. Each has a single Corrupted Data Accelerator. The table is sorted easiest first, and every system links to its own page with hostiles and Missionen.
| System | Ebene | Warp | Fraktion | Nodes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainsford | 20 | 13 | Augment | 1 | Node size 10 |
| Lydan | 22 | 17 | Augment | 1 | Node size 10 |
| Raddan | 22 | 17 | Augment | 1 | Node size 750 |
| Tera Lara | 24 | 7 | Augment | 1 | Node size 25 |
| Rona Tan | 26 | 7 | Augment | 1 | Node size 25 |
| Gealan | 26 | 19 | Augment | 1 | Node size 1,250 |
| Kor Na Ron | 27 | 21 | Augment | 1 | Node size 4,000 |
| Duriana | 28 | 7 | Augment | 1 | Node size 100 |
| Ifrea-3 | 32 | 23 | Augment | 1 | Node size 500 |
Node size matters more than level here. Rainsford, Lydan, Tera Lara and Rona Tan hold tiny nodes (10 to 25 data), so expect to reset your miner constantly. Kor Na Ron (4,000), Gealan (1,250), Raddan (750) and Ifrea-3 (500) are the ones worth parking on.
Decoded Data locations
The seven Decoded Data systems run from level 27 to 36 and warp 7 to 25. Two different kinds of node sit in this band: small fast ones (Paradane, Terazon-X31, Orda-877 and Yarda, at 750 to 3,700 data) and big slow ones that last much longer (Vellamo at 20,000, Olassa at 40,000 and Ilmatar at 60,000).
| System | Ebene | Warp | Fraktion | Nodes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradane | 27 | 21 | Augment | 1 | Node size 750 |
| Terazon-X31 | 28 | 21 | Augment | 1 | Node size 750 |
| Vellamo | 30 | 21 | Augment | 1 | Node size 20,000 |
| Olassa | 33 | 23 | Augment | 1 | Node size 40,000 |
| Orda-877 | 34 | 25 | Augment | 1 | Node size 2,500 |
| Ilmatar | 35 | 25 | Augment | 1 | Node size 60,000 |
| Yarda | 36 | 7 | Augment | 1 | Node size 3,700 |
Corrupted vs Decoded Data
The difference is where they spawn, and that decides when you can farm each. Corrupted Data (the red one) comes from the lower Augment systems, levels 20 to 32. Decoded Data (the green one) comes from the higher systems, levels 27 to 36. Decoded Data is not a refined version of Corrupted Data; they are separate resources mined from separate nodes, and the store exchanges use both. The level 27 and 28 band is where they overlap: Kor Na Ron and Duriana carry Corrupted Data, while Paradane and Terazon-X31 carry Decoded Data.
Why you need data
Data is the Augment faction’s currency, and the Augment store is where you spend it. The store is also where Plutonium becomes available: Common Plutonium at level 20, Ungewöhnlich at level 24 with the Pawn reputation tier, and Rare at level 30 with the Associate tier. All three upgrade the components of the Botany Bay. The Augment store also carries Augment recruit rewards for Khan and his crew. If you want Khan’s crew at high ranks or a leveled Botany Bay, data mining is the grind that pays for it.
How to get data
- Mining in Augment space. The only steady supply. Put the Botany Bay on a data node in one of the 16 systems above. Its data mining bonus is enormous; no other ship comes close.
- Events. Augment-themed events and daily goals sometimes pay data or Augment Credits directly.
- Hitting loaded miners. Data cannot be raided from a station, but a loaded Botany Bay destroyed on a node drops its unprotected cargo. Yours included, so crew for protection.
One warning for the region: hostiles in Augment space will target ships sitting on nodes. Data nodes are also small compared to ordinary resource nodes, so expect to reset your miner often rather than parking it overnight the way you would on a tritanium node. The Augment missions walk you through the region system by system.
Best data mining crews
Wie latinum, data mining is a case where the ship does the heavy lifting and the crew’s job is speed on top plus keeping the cargo safe:
- Joaquin on the bridge. His Data Miner ability raises the ship’s mining rate for Corrupted and Decoded Data by 40% at rank 1, up to 125% at rank 5.
- Joaquin as captain instead, if cargo is the worry. His captain maneuver, Firewall Protection, raises Protected Cargo by 50%.
- T'Pring on the bridge. Hidden Stash raises Protected Cargo by 50% at rank 1, up to 300% at rank 5.
For current alternatives, see the Officer Tier List.
Best ship to mine data
There is exactly one right answer: the Botany Bay. It is an Uncommon Grade 3 survey ship that needs 60 blueprints and Shipyard level 18. Its ship ability, Data Mining, raises its Mining Laser bonus by 26,500% when mining Corrupted and Decoded Data at ship level 1, rising to 41,000% at level 45, which makes any other survey ship a placeholder at best. Plutonium from the Augment store is what upgrades it, so the loop feeds itself: mine data, buy Plutonium, mine faster.
Data FAQ
Where is the Vaara Expanse?
It is the Augment faction’s region of the galaxy. Its data systems are the 16 Augment systems in the two tables above, from Rainsford at level 20 to Yarda at level 36, and all of them sit at warp 25 or lower.
Is Decoded Data refined from Corrupted Data?
No. They are separate resources from separate nodes. Corrupted spawns in the lower Augment systems, Decoded in the higher ones.
Which system is best for Decoded Data?
For long sessions, Ilmatar (level 35) and Olassa (level 33), whose nodes hold 60,000 and 40,000 data. For quick top-ups, Yarda and Orda-877 have the fastest small nodes.
Why do data nodes run out so fast?
Many data nodes hold far less than normal resource nodes, some as little as 10. Lift your ship off and set it back down to reset the node, and plan on active mining sessions rather than overnight parking.
Can other players steal my data?
Not from your station. Station raids take Parsteel, tritanium and dilithium, plus Sigma resources at the top end. The risk is your loaded Botany Bay on a node, which is why the protection officers above are standard.
