Unearthed | Starfield Wiki

Unearthed is a Main Mission in Starfield. Unearthed tasks you with investigating the origins of the Artifacts. Completing Missions allows players to learn more about the world and characters in Starfield. Players can take on Main Missions which progress the main story forward, and other types of optional secondary missions that do not. These Side Missions enrich the lore of the game while presenting optional NPCs, Enemies, or Bosses that are not directly tied to the main storyline. Completing Missions earns players experience, Weapons, Armor, and other types of loot.

The Emissary has given me a key to a base on Luna, Earth's Moon, saying I'll learn more about the Artifacts if I investigate.

Table of Contents for Starfield Unearthed

1. Starfield Unearthed Unlock Requirements
2. Starfield Unearthed Rewards
3. Objectives for Unearthed in Starfield
4. Walkthrough for Unearthed in Starfield
5. Other Notes & Tips for Starfield Unearthed

How to unlock Unearthed in Starfield

Unearthed can be unlocked by the following NPC or the following actions:

• Automatically obtained after completing In Their Footsteps. This Mission is unlocked on The Scorpius hovering over planet Oborum III in the Oborum Prime System.

Starfield Unearthed Rewards

I need to gather any remaining Artifacts that Constellation has uncovered. Once I have them, the Starborn will be waiting at the Buried Temple.

Unearthed gives the following rewards once completed:

• 11400 Credits
• 4500 XP

Starfield Unearthed Objectives

• Go to Nova Galactic Research Station
• Investigate the Research Station
• Play the Recording on the Roof
• Go to NASA
• Find a Way Inside
• Enter NASA
• Find Information about NASA
• Find Information about the Martian Sample
• Find Information about the Prototype Grav Drive
• Find Information about Grad Drive Side Effects
• Release the Artifact
• Leave NASA
• Talk to the Emissary

Starfield Unearthed Walkthrough

Unearthed will begin as soon as you finish In Their Footsteps. At the end of that quest, The Emissary gives you what they call a key to an Artifact, in order for you to learn more about them firsthand, and the choices you'll have to make from here on. They will bid you to go to the Earth's moon to use it. When you're ready, head for the Sol System and then land on the Nova Galactic Research Station on the moon Luna. Move forward to the station to investigate it properly.

As you move forward, look for the Airlock that should be on your left. It's locked but the Moon Base Key that The Emissary gave you will prove useful here, as well as for the next locked door. Inside the first room should be a Wire Spool as well as some random credits in the storage boxes. Open the folding blue door on the right and progress through. Follow the objective marker to a computer containing Nova Galactic Research. The first file describes the supercomputer that the researchers were using for their experiment, while the second file will contain an announcement about the test launch of something called Project Prism.

As the file reads, you'll next want to head up to the roof and see what you can find out about that launch day. If you turn around and then head through the double door on your right, you should find yourself in a room with gym equipment and various kitchen things. The storage rack near the punching bag has a Storage Box with a Digipick and some Zero Wire if you want them. Head back out and then make a turn to the right to eventually find some stairs leading up. At the top, you'll find a locked Science Crate which you can loot if you have enough investment in the Security Skill. The Storage Crate ahead of it contains a Ground Crew Pack. After you've looted as much as you want, head outside and find your way above the station to get to the recording box and play the recording.

It seems the original data that was integral to the project was kept secret even to the spearhead of the research, but it sounds like you'll be able to find it in NASA. Head back to your ship and chart a course for the NASA Launch Tower on planet Earth. After you land you'll see the launch tower from a distance - kind of hard to miss in the middle of a barren wasteland. Head to it and you'll be prompted to try to find a way in. There'll be some Mercury and Water deposits on your way there if you want to harvest them.

If you head to the middle of the structure and then immediately climb to the right, you should find a door with a switch in a dark corner of the platform. Unfortunately, there isn't any power right now, so you'll have to find a way to generate some.

It's quite dark but if you search to the left of the door's switch, you should be able to find two Emergency Power Cells. Pick them both up and then head to the right side of the door to find the Power Receptacle, where you can put one Emergency Power Cell. Now you can hit the switch to open the door. Immediately in front of you as you step in will be a Storage Crate containing a Refined Deep Recon Spacesuit. Beside it to the right is another crate with a Bashing Calibrated Old Earth Unting Rifle, some ammo, and a Calibrated Deep Recon Space Helmet.

Head back out and then turn right to get back to the path in the middle of the structure to cut to the other side. Turn left to circle around the structure until you find some stairs. Head up and then turn right to find some Resources, and another Storage Crate containing an Advanced Deep Recon Spacesuit.

When you're done looting, head back out and down the way you came, and then continue circling the structure to the left until you find your way back to the door with a switch. Climb up to the platform above the Power Receptacle this time and then keep climbing up. There'll be some more Resources scattered around this area if you want them, but you'll mainly want to use the platforms and stairs to make your up to the objective marker. You'll eventually find a white door that you can enter, leading to a short bridge that'll take you closer to the objective marker.

There you'll find the elevator to get to NASA but you'll need power to activate it with the button. If you turn around from the elevator and look to the right, you'll find another white door that you can open with the NASA Access Code. Inside will be another Power Receptacle. If you missed out on grabbing the extra Emergency Power Cell a while ago, there are some lying around this room. Make sure to pick all the extra ones up for later. Interact with the receptacle to put one in. The Storage Crate here contains a Tau Grade Rheostat. Head out of the room and head back to the elevator you just powered and push the button. Press another button inside to get to the NASA Launch Facility.

Loot as much as you want from the cluttered area and then head for the objective marker when you're ready. Access the NASA Research Computer to get some more information on NASA. The first file has some reminders for the launch. The Access Station Logs will have some recordings of past events that transpired here, regarding a sample from Mars that was unprecedented to civilization at the time. It seems the government took pains to keep it all under wraps.

When you're ready, head through the door near the computer. Jump down and follow the path to a large chamber that looks like a museum of some sort, built to commemorate the progressive stages of space travel in humanity's history. Turn to the left and head to the lower level, following the direction of the objective marker. Look for the stairs on your right and follow the path to another room containing another Personal Recording of Judith Tatienne. It seems that Victor Aiza has had breakthroughs upon breakthroughs based on some information that he wishes to keep secret. These breakthroughs eventually led to the discovery and creation of extensive space travel.

Follow the path forward through the rock tunnel and through the long hall. At the end of the hall will be a door marked with the word "Lab" that you'll have to enter. Inside, climb up the rock formation on the ground to a doorway right above you. Follow the succeeding paths down to yet another long hall. You'll find a large red door that you'll need to flip the switch for, but the power for it is out. Head past it first and enter the yellow folding door to the right to find the corresponding Power Switch.

Flip the power on. There's a Refined Deep Recon Space Helmet in the Storage Crate to the right if you want it. Head back now to the large red door and flip the switch to open it. Inside, follow the path through some more rock tunnels until you reach a bit of a fork. The rock wall in front of you is actually breakable. Break it to access a room containing a Digipick, a Storage Crate containing some more resources, and a Deep Recon Spacesuit. Head back out and then make an immediate right turn. Follow the path to find some stairs on your right. Head down and follow the objective marker. There'll be another red door with a switch that'll need some power. Head past it to find the corresponding Power Receptacle and put in the extra Emergency Power Cell.

Head back to the red door and flip the switch to enter it. Follow the path and eventually climb up the stairs. You'll eventually enter a large chamber with some Turret Mk Is and a Robot Model A guarding it, so take them out first. Afterward, head to the far left side of the room to find a yellow box that operates the large doors. You'll need to generate some power again to get it working. From there, you should be able to find an opening to your immediate right. Follow the path to find the corresponding Power Switch. 

Head back to the large doors and flip the switch to open them. Follow the long path down toward the objective marker to get to another NASA Research Computer. Access it to progress your objectives. The first file has some reminders in terms of Security Protocol, while the Access Station Logs will have some more recordings. It seems the testing for extensive space travel was successful, and at that time, things were progressing so fast that nobody wanted to even know what the side effects were for operating a Grav Drive. You'll have to find out for yourself.

When you're done with the computer, turn around and look to your left to find a white door. Open it and progress forward. Head past another door afterward into an area where gravity seems to be lower. Float down and loot the body of a dead scientist for some credits and the NASA Maintenance Key. Use the key to open the nearby door and then turn right to find another large red door with a switch. The Storage Crate on the left contains an Advanced Deep Recon Power Pack. Hit the switch to open the red door to proceed.

Inside the next chamber, follow the stairs up to an opening on the grate. Follow the path and then turn right to a door on the lower level. Open the door and then immediately turn right to get to the objective marker, where you'll find Victor Aiza's lifeless body and another NASA Research Computer. Access the computer to proceed.

The first file will show some information about the Grav Drive, and reveal that the Martian specimen is at the core of the machinery. The Access Station Logs will again have some recordings to enlighten you of what transpired before. It seems like all the traveling done from the moon has had negative consequences on Earth, which led to its eventual destruction. Victor Aiza planned on keeping it secret and instead telling the public that nature was simply taking its course and that it was about time for us all to leave the planet anyway. This seemed to be a very big deal for Judith, which Victor knew from the beginning but still chose to keep secret, leading to them falling out. In the final file, Victor confesses that the origin of all the quick advancements in space travel technology is in fact the Martian anomaly they had found. He'd touched it and was able to speak to a version of himself knowing all that came ahead in terms of their field of study. He finishes by calling the specimen an Artifact, as you know it at the current time.

You'll find this very Artifact in the large machinery at the center of the main chamber. Press the switch on the desk to the right of Victor's body to open it and gain access. Head back to the main chamber to claim the Artifact for yourself. You'll immediately receive a message from The Emissary who says that they've landed on Earth so that you can come discuss your findings. The Hunter also says there's another Starborn that got there before they did, probably to claim the Artifact for themselves too. A few of them will come find you as you make your way out so prepare for some fighting.

The quickest way out from here will be indicated by your HUD system. Head down the stairs to the lowest level and then exit the red door. As you move forward there should be a door to your left leading to some stairs. After two flights of stairs, head out the doorway in front of you and then keep going straight in the same direction until you enter a hall going to the left.

Jump the small gap and climb the large pipes to make your way up. When you get to the top, head through the open door you'll see in front of you, opening to the left. Move forward onto a long and wide flight of stairs going up, being careful of any Starborn that might ambush you. At the top, head forward and then to the right to some more stairs. After you've dealt with the Starborn here, look for the large red door on the left, which needs another power cell to be flipped. Follow the wires coming out of the switch to find the corresponding Power Receptacle and put in another Emergency Power Cell.

Flip the switch to enter and then head up the stairs on your left. On your right should be another Storage Crate containing a Calibrated Deep Recon Space Helmet. Follow the path to a grated door which you can open with the NASA Maintenance Key you picked up a while ago. Keep going until you reach another long hallway. At the end of it will be a Cuttable Wall that you can bust through with a Cutter. Go through it and then turn left. Follow the path and then climb up the stairs in the middle of the large room.

At the top, jump onto the silver pipe and then head through the broken window into a hall, being careful of the Starborns engaging you again at this point. Head through two short doorways into another cluttered room, and then look for an open door on the left. Past it will be a closed door you can open and go through, to head up the long inclined path to your right. Follow the path until you reach some more stairs. Keep climbing up until you reach the last door. Enter it and then jump down to find the elevator you used to enter the facility. Push the button to finally make it outside.

Drop down safely to find The Emissary and The Hunter waiting for you in the sands. Speak to The Emissary to discuss your findings. She'll ask if you now understand the whole point of this exercise - the scientists invented the Grav Drives through one Artifact, at the cost of their home planet. You can have her explain further with the third option if you want. You'll then have the option to slightly agree with The Emissary's view that this event shows the Artifact's danger or The Hunter's view that being able to finally reach the stars was worth the cost. Regardless of this initial choice, you'll get some more points to consider from both of them before making another choice. The third option this time expresses that their both wrong and someone who's not a Starborn should make the decision. If you choose the third option, the game will prompt you to reconsider or confirm - either side with The Emissary, The Hunter, or neither of them and have both of them as enemies.

Choosing whichever will reveal that once all Artifacts are gathered, everyone is to fight it out at a place called The Buried Temple where the final Artifact can be found. Regardless of who you allied with, the other two parties will be there with their own collected Artifacts, in a fight to win it all. This completes the main part of the Unearthed and will prompt you to finish Final Glimpses if you haven't already. To start the next Main Mission, "Revelation," players will have to finish Final Glimpses, Missed Beyond Measure, and Unearthed.

Starfield Unearthed Notes & Tips

• Other Notes & Tips for Starfield Unearthed go here