Constellation Mk V Centaurus: Weapons, Cargo and Life Aboard
A bigger hold, bridge-operated turrets and a new snub give the Centaurus crew plenty to work with. Step aboard the Mk V and explore the spaces, equipment and compromises behind the familiar Constellation silhouette.
The Constellation Mk V Centaurus gives an RSI crew a bigger home and a heavier fighting ship: 240 SCU of cargo space, two Size 3 shields, remote turrets worked from the bridge and missiles that can be replenished from inside the hull. Its four pilot-controlled Size 5 guns remain familiar territory for a Connie pilot. The greater bulk changes the flying, though. The Centaurus turns and accelerates more slowly than the Mk IV, even as its higher NAV speed and stronger protection broaden what the ship can take on.
It is the first of a new Constellation generation, flying alongside the refitted Mk IV family rather than replacing an owner's existing ship. The Skylark snub is part of that new design, with a dedicated docking arrangement beneath the Centaurus. Together they continue the Connie's mix of combat, freight and a place for friends to live between jobs, now with considerably more room devoted to the crew's work.
A larger Constellation, with a familiar stance
The Centaurus measures 82.5 metres long, 47.5 metres wide and 20.25 metres high. Its shape keeps the long neck, prominent forward cockpit and four engine nacelles that make a Constellation recognisable at a glance. The landing gear and rear-weighted landed stance deliberately recall the older ship, while layered armour and broad panels bring in the newer RSI design language also seen in the Zeus and Perseus.
The family’s in-universe heritage reaches back to 2712. That fictional history sits alongside a long real development history: the Constellation appeared in Star Citizen's original pitch era, and members of the team behind earlier versions returned to work on the Mk V. A new generation gives them room to change the proportions and internal layout without abandoning the silhouette that made the ship a fixture of the project.
| Role | Multi-role gunship and medium freighter |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 82.5 m long × 47.5 m wide × 20.25 m high |
| Cargo capacity | 240 SCU |
| Bridge seats | One pilot, one co-pilot and two remote-turret operators |
| Pilot guns | Four swappable Size 5 weapons |
| Remote turrets | Two turrets, each carrying four Size 3 weapons |
| Missiles | Two bespoke racks, each holding sixteen Size 2 missiles: 32 in total |
| Shields | Two Size 3 generators |
| Dedicated snub | RSI Skylark; Mk V docking is currently exclusive to this ship |
The pilot keeps all four forward guns when flying alone, while two crewmates can take the remote turrets. A full bridge brings those roles together, although sending someone out in the Skylark means deciding which station to leave behind.
Guns on the bridge, reloads inside the hull
The Centaurus retains four Size 5 pilot weapons, but its crew armament makes a larger departure. Each of the two remote turrets carries four Size 3 guns, with one covering the top of the ship and the other the underside. Their operators sit on the bridge with the pilot, bringing the people directing the ship and its defensive fire into the same room. The new bridge also removes the original design's obstructing struts for a clearer view.
Its 32 Size 2 missiles occupy two matching bespoke racks. Internal storage sits directly behind the launchers, allowing the crew to reload during flight. That access gives the engineering corridor a practical combat job as well as providing a route to components. The 32 missiles are the ready loadout; spare ammunition needs its own space aboard.
Protection has increased along with the ship's size. The second Size 3 shield generator accompanies higher armour deflection and greater overall armour integrity. The Centaurus nevertheless remains less heavily armoured than dedicated warships such as the Hammerhead and Perseus. Its mix of accommodation, freight and combat equipment is still central to its identity.
The handling trade-off is equally important. Slower turning and acceleration mean a pilot needs more space to reposition in a fight; higher NAV speed does not make that heavier response disappear. Flight range remains unconfirmed.
From the entry chamber to the cargo gantry
Entering by the lift or airlock brings the crew into a small entry chamber. Towards the bow, a dedicated area houses suit lockers and weapon racks before the route opens into the bridge. The layout keeps equipment storage close to the working stations while giving the seats more breathing room than the old arrangement.
Moving aft, the corridor runs down one side of the ship. That choice freed space for a larger mess hall and habitation area than the centreline route considered during development. The crew share a dormitory rather than separate cabins. There is more room to gather between jobs, without turning the ship into a collection of private suites.
The rear third opens into a double-height space, with a raised gantry overlooking the cargo bay. The 240 SCU hold loads cargo and vehicles through a descending ramp. The larger payload area accommodates a wider range of vehicles, including some of the game's largest current ground vehicles, but the official description does not provide a named, complete fit list. A maximum cargo figure is not a guarantee that any particular combination of vehicles and containers will fit together.
Below, the engineering corridor follows the belly of the hull, providing internal missile-loading space, spare-missile storage and access to additional components. Windows make the inside less enclosed: there are views from the rear engineering and snub area, below the ship near missile control, and around the habitation and mess spaces overlooking the cargo bay. The result is a ship whose working deck remains visible from several places aboard.
The official Behind the Ships film tours the Mk V interior from 8:37 and turns to the Skylark at 10:54. Its earlier section, from 2:07, concerns the older Mk IV family's Gold Standard work; those changes should not be mistaken for a list of Centaurus-only features.
The Skylark's place aboard
The Skylark is the Centaurus's dedicated snub fighter. A prone pilot position helps keep the hull slim, while a canopy extending above and below the pilot gives the little craft a distinctive cockpit. Its compact RSI styling draws on the Zeus and Scorpius, and split rear wings echo the larger Constellation's engine-and-wing arrangement.
It carries three Size 2 guns and two bespoke missile racks holding five Size 1 missiles each. Unusually for a snub, it has two shield generators. The extra protection comes with weight: this is a heavier, less agile snub, built to take a hit rather than win every turning contest.
The components are accessible, and both its inventory and weapon rack remain usable while it is docked inside the Centaurus or landed separately. That makes the docked snub useful for more than its next sortie. It does not, however, turn the Centaurus into a servicing carrier: the mothership cannot refuel, rearm or repair the Skylark.
The docking mount is currently exclusive to the Skylark. A P-52 Merlin or P-72 Archimedes cannot dock to it because the geometry is radically different. A crew bringing a Kruger snub from a Mk IV therefore cannot assume that it will transfer to the new mount. Our Merlin and Archimedes comparison covers those older pairings separately.
Six factory and paint finishes
The factory finish is grey with white highlights. Blackthorn adds purple with black and silver; Convergence uses blue with yellow highlights; Heritage combines red with black and yellow. Patrician is white and grey with orange, while Magnitude uses blue with black and orange. All six keep the same Centaurus design beneath the finish.
From the October teaser to confirmed specifications
The early October teaser showed a box marked RSI Centaurus and invited players to find the boxes and fly the future. Official patch-note text also named the Constellation Mk V in a fix concerning missile storage in the Vehicle Loadout Manager. The 9 October roadmap then marked both the Centaurus and Skylark Released, alongside the Mk IV refit. The detailed release, engineering answers and developer film followed on 14 October.
Discovery Month provides a five-day rental of the Centaurus and Skylark through the Constellation Rental Offer mission. The rental is temporary: it neither converts a Mk IV into a Mk V nor makes the new ship a permanent account-owned replacement. The RSI Discovery Month guide covers the unlock route and the event's rental-terminal issues.
Earlier community footage remains useful as a dated view of the ship in play. In RidgeSix's October recording, he leaves in the Skylark at 7:30 and returns to dock from 13:35. A server error briefly prevents him leaving the seat before he recovers. At 16:00 he checks the co-pilot station and demonstrates flight and missile controls; earlier he tries both turrets and describes slow pitch and yaw. These are observations from one session, rather than an Impound flight test or a reliability guarantee.
His 240 SCU reading at 0:24 came from ASOP without a demonstration of the entire loaded grid. The official release graphic now independently confirms 240 SCU capacity. Neither that recording nor the number alone establishes every vehicle fit, bed-logout persistence or performance across servers.
A new generation alongside the refitted Mk IV
The Mk IV's own changes remain worth a returning owner's attention. Its Gold Standard work reached all four variants, updating materials, navigation and interaction placements, cockpit visibility, the HUD and physicalised components. That work was already in the game before this detailed Centaurus release. Our Mk IV rework feature follows the changes throughout the established ships.
The developer film reiterates continued support for older craft, including bug fixes, balance changes and work to accommodate systems such as engineering and Maelstrom. Gold Standard is an evolving standard as gameplay develops. Classic ship dealers, blueprint-unlock missions and crafting changes discussed near the film's end are future plans, not additional live services unlocked by the Centaurus release.
Further Mk V variants are planned for both familiar and new roles, but no specific additional variants are announced in the Q&A. The name Centaurus is not confirmation of a one-for-one Taurus successor. For now, the new ship offers a defined combination: more freight room, a larger shared interior, stronger crew weapons and protection, with heavier handling and a dedicated snub that depends on outside servicing. Those are concrete differences for a Connie crew to weigh against the ship they already enjoy.
Centaurus questions, answered
Does the Mk V replace my Mk IV Constellation?
No. The Centaurus is a separate ship. Your existing Constellation remains a Mk IV, with its own Gold Standard work and continuing support. The Discovery Month rental also does not convert an owned Mk IV into a permanent Mk V.
What can the pilot control without turret gunners?
The pilot controls four Size 5 guns. The two remote turrets are operated by separate crew members from the bridge, with four Size 3 weapons on each turret. Having the controls together keeps the crew in the same room; it does not turn the turret guns into additional pilot weapons.
How does it fly compared with the Mk IV?
The Centaurus turns and accelerates more slowly, so allow more room to change direction in a fight. Its higher NAV speed is a separate advantage in travel. Two Size 3 shields and reinforced armour give it stronger protection, but its armour remains below dedicated warships such as the Hammerhead and Perseus.
Can the crew reload missiles during flight?
Yes. Internal storage sits behind the two missile racks, allowing the crew to replenish them from inside the ship. The fitted racks hold 32 Size 2 missiles in total. That is the loaded rack capacity, not a confirmed count of every spare missile the ship can carry.
How much cargo fits, and which ground vehicles can it carry?
The published cargo capacity is 240 SCU. The larger bay is designed for a wider range of payloads, including large ground vehicles, but the release Q&A does not give a complete vehicle-by-vehicle fit list. Capacity alone cannot establish ramp clearance or how much cargo space remains beside a particular vehicle.
Can a Merlin or Archimedes use the Centaurus docking port?
No. The Skylark is the only ship currently supported by the Mk V docking arrangement. Its different geometry prevents a P-52 Merlin or P-72 Archimedes from using that port.
Can the Centaurus refuel, rearm or repair its Skylark?
No. Docking brings the snub aboard, but the Centaurus does not provide those mothership services. The Skylark’s inventory and weapon rack remain accessible while it is docked, which is useful for the pilot’s equipment but does not replenish or repair the fighter.
What weapons does the Skylark carry?
Three Size 2 guns and two bespoke racks carrying five Size 1 missiles each. It also has two shield generators. The extra protection and capacity come with heavier, less agile handling than a typical snub; the pilot lies prone to keep its profile slim.
Are more Mk V variants confirmed?
More variants are planned for familiar and new roles. The release Q&A does not name them or confirm their specifications, so descriptions circulating from datamines should not be treated as announced production ships.