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New Babbage on microTech: skyline and spaceport in the snow
STONEHEARST / IAE 2956

IAE 2956   /   Tobin Expo Center   /   New Babbage

The IAE comes to our home turf

From November 13 to 27, the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo shows off the ships of the Verse at the Tobin Expo Center in New Babbage – and Star Citizen is free to play the entire time. New Babbage is also home to the Stonehearst Group. We'll be there.

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IMAGE © MR. HASGAHA ↗
Start
Fri, Nov 13, 202616:00 UTC
End
Fri, Nov 27, 202620:00 UTC
Location
Tobin Expo CenterNew Babbage, microTech
Free Fly
Free for everyoneover 200 ships and ground vehicles

01 / What is the IAE?

The crew explains the expo

The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo has a long history in the Verse. Six voices from the Stonehearst Group – each with their own view of it.

Dr. Kyle ReeceMission Lead

What it's about

“When people first hear about the IAE, they think of a trade fair. It is one. But for almost three hundred years it has mostly shown where the Verse is heading: which ships get built, who holds the power and who doesn't. I asked the others to explain it – each of them sees something different in it.”
Ivo BrennerRepair

How it began

“It started in 2670 on Castor in the Corel system, on a dusty field. Audrey Timmerman wanted to show a small crowd her experimental ship, the Poby. On the first flight a power surge fried the maneuvering thrusters. Timmerman still called it a success and made the show bigger year after year. I like that to this day: if you build things, you have to live with failures.”
Craig HarkerPilot

Why professionals fly

“In the early days any tinkerer could fly his own ship. In 2701 a homebuilt craft crashed, killing the pilot and fifteen spectators. After that, homemade ships were grounded, and the stunt flying went to the Navy's 999th Test Squadron – the ‘Wreckless’. And sometimes history is made at the IAE: in 2712 RSI unveiled the Constellation there.”
Dr. Alice CordellMedical

The dark years

“The IAE wasn't always a celebration. Under the Messers it became a stage for the regime: loyalty oaths, the best spots for approved manufacturers, Aegis above all – yes, the maker of our Dauntless. Timmerman retired rather than go along with it. I think you should know that when you walk through the halls today.”
Nadia SerratStarlines

Why New Babbage

“Since 2916, Eri City in the Kiel system has been the home of the IAE. The problem: everyone wants to get there at the same time. The jump gates into Kiel got so crowded that there was a dedicated express lane for expo ships – it didn't help much. That's why there have been satellite expos in other systems since 2948. This year it's the Tobin Expo Center in New Babbage. For us that means a short trip.”
Myra VossMedical

How you'll experience it

“Easier than it sounds: the manufacturers take turns on the show floor, each gets a day or two. They show off their new ships, and at the kiosks you get a ship for a test flight without paying a thing. My advice: pack a few Cruz (Flow, not Pulse), wear comfortable shoes – and don't try to see everything in one day.”

02 / Manufacturer schedule

Who shows what, and when?

Each manufacturer gets its days on the show floor. That's when its ships are ready at the kiosks for free rental.

IAE 2956 manufacturer schedule
DateShow dayManufacturerOur pick
Nov 13–14Day 1–2Roberts Space IndustriesSalvation · Repair
Nov 14–15Day 2–3Origin Jumpworks600i Touring · Starlines
Nov 15–16Day 3–4Anvil AerospaceC8R Pisces Rescue, Terrapin Medic · Medical
Nov 16–17Day 4–5Crusader Industries, UmbrilMercury Star Runner, C2 Hercules · Starlines
Nov 17–18Day 5–6Drake InterplanetaryCutlass Red · Medical, Vulture · Repair
Nov 18–19Day 6–7Argo Astronautics, Consolidated Outland, Greycat Industrial, Grey’s MarketArgo SRV · Repair
Nov 19–20Day 7–8Kruger Intergalactic, Mirai, MISCFreelancer MAX, Hull C · Starlines, Fortune · Repair
Nov 20–21Day 8–9Aegis DynamicsReclaimer · Repair
Nov 21–22Day 9–10Aopoa, Banu, Esperia, Gatac–
Nov 22Day 10Best in Show–
Nov 23–27Day 11–15FinaleLast chance to try all IAE vehicles for free

Schedule according to RSI, as of Nov 6, 2026. The kiosks on the show floor show which models are actually available on each day. The right-hand column is our crew's advice, not RSI information.

03 / Getting there

Four steps to the show floor

Never played Star Citizen? Perfect – that's exactly what the IAE is for.

  1. 01Create an accountFree RSI account with our code – everything about the starting bonus is in Get Started.
  2. 02Get the launcherInstall the game, ideally before Nov 13 – it's a big download.
  3. 03Start in New BabbageOur guide takes you from the first screen to your first flight.
  4. 04Pick a kiosk, flyChoose a ship at the Tobin Expo Center and try it out.
Get StartedWill my PC run it?

04 / Crew tips

What you should try

Three divisions, three recommendations for your first flights.

“Sit down in a C8R Pisces Rescue or a Cutlass Red and take a look at the medical bed. If you know how to position a patient there, you're halfway to joining us.”
Dr. Alice CordellMedical
“Grab a Vulture. Small ship, honest work – after an hour of salvage you'll know whether it's for you.”
Ivo BrennerRepair
“Try the Freelancer MAX. Plenty of cargo space, forgiving in flight – there's a reason I fly one myself.”
Nadia SerratStarlines

05 / From Reece's Logbook

Duty note · New Babbage · November 2956

Expo Week in New Babbage

Every November, New Babbage gets crowded. The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo moves into the Tobin Expo Center, bringing manufacturers, traders and pilots from all over the Verse. Locals avoid the main walkways for a few weeks.

As a freelance emergency doctor I spent more than one expo on standby. Warm halls, too little to drink, too many hours on your feet – I know the pattern. Usually it ends with dizzy spells and blisters. Sometimes it doesn't.

Alice suggested we go this year. Not as exhibitors – an Idris wouldn't fit in the hall anyway – but as what we are: a team that helps when it's needed. I agreed and set up the duty roster. Myra and I will carry our kits, and Craig keeps the Cutlass Red ready at the spaceport. Maybe someone in the crowd will want to fly with us. We need people; the Dauntless protocol made that clear enough.

I bought new shoes. That's experience talking, too.

Reece

06 / What comes next?

Like what you see?

We'll be in New Babbage ourselves during the expo, looking at ships – with a long wish list and a tight budget. Craig finally wants to buy the Cutlass Red instead of renting it, and has his eye on the C8R Pisces Rescue as a fast rescue tender. Ivo can't decide between the Vulture, the Fortune and the Salvation, and secretly dreams of a Reclaimer. Nadia is working out whether a Hull C or even a C2 comes after the Freelancer MAX. Myra really wants a look inside the Terrapin Medic. And on Aegis day, Craig and Ivo will no doubt be talking again about how the Dauntless might one day become an Idris-K.

The Verse doesn't stop after the Free Fly – with an account, the starting bonus and our Get Started guide. And if you ever want to fly with us: you'll find our divisions on RSI.

Get Started
Graphic: IAE 2956 – free to play, November 13–27, 2026, Stonehearst Group (German)

07 / Spread the word

Bring a friend

A first flight is more fun with two. Share this page with friends, on Discord or in your org.

Fan site, not affiliated with Cloud Imperium Games. Dates and manufacturer schedule from the RSI Comm-Link “IAE 2956 – Save the Date” ↗, as of Nov 6, 2026. Lore: RSI Portfolio “Eras of IAE History”.

Stonehearst Group

Join via RSI

Our three divisions are organizations on RSI. You can apply or get in touch there.

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