The Aurora Mk I Signs Off — Special Edition, Farewell Gifts & What the Sunset Means

There's no ship in Star Citizen with a history quite like the RSI Aurora Mk I. It was there at the beginning — the ship that greeted the very first backers, that put the universe in reach before most of what surrounds it today even existed. For many pilots, it wasn't just a starter ship. It was the starter ship. The first cockpit. The first jump. The first time Star Citizen felt real.

Today, with Alpha 4.7 live and the Aurora Mk II taking the torch, RSI is formally beginning the Mk I's retirement. The original series enters a six-month sunset window starting March 25, 2026, and closes on September 30, 2026. Here's what that means, what you can still get, and how RSI is saying goodbye.

The Aurora Mk I Special Edition — The Best of Everything, One Last Time

To mark the occasion, RSI has released the Aurora Mk I Special Edition — a final-run variant that brings together the best elements from across the entire Mk I lineup into a single, definitive package.

It takes the cargo capacity of the CL, the combat configuration of the MR, the weapon loadout and intakes of the LN, and the luxury interior finish of the LX. The result is an Aurora Mk I that no individual variant ever was: complete, polished, and purpose-built as a collector's piece worthy of the series it closes out.

The SE also features a unique exterior paint and an exclusive interior livery that cannot be applied to any other Aurora — Mk I or Mk II. RSI describes the feel as something close to a high-end sports trim: elevated materials, refined colours, and a presence that sets it apart on any landing pad. The Aurora Mk I SE is flyable now with Alpha 4.7, and once the promotion ends, it will not be offered again.

What the Special Edition Brings to the Fight

On paper, the SE is classified as a light fighter — a small, single-crew ship built around speed and agility rather than raw armour or firepower. At 18.5 metres long, 8.2 metres wide, and 4 metres tall, it's a compact vessel with a mass of just over 25,000 kg and a max SCM speed of 225 m/s.

The default armament reflects the LN's combat heritage: four Size 1 weapons and a single rack of four Size 2 missiles. Two shield generators provide baseline protection, two coolers manage heat, and a single power plant keeps everything running. Four VTOL thrusters handle low-speed manoeuvring, supported by eight joint manoeuvring thrusters for in-flight agility. Cargo capacity sits at 6 SCU — the CL's contribution to the package — giving the SE genuine hauling utility for a ship in its class.

It's not a powerhouse. It was never meant to be. But as a collector's item that can still hold its own on missions, run cargo, and get into light scraps, the SE represents the full breadth of what the Aurora Mk I was across its entire production life.

A Free Gift for Aurora Pioneers

Every pilot with an active Aurora Mk I pledge on their account is receiving a free limited-edition red and blue celebration paint — RSI's way of acknowledging the people who flew with them from the start.

To qualify, your account must hold an active Aurora Mk I pledge both at the start of the promotion and a few days after it closes. One paint per account, non-transferable. If you don't currently have an Aurora Mk I active on your account, you have until the end of the promotion window to acquire or recover one. The paint remains yours permanently — even if you later melt, gift, or upgrade the ship after the promotion ends.

What "Retirement" Actually Means

This is worth stating clearly: the Aurora Mk I is not being deleted.

RSI is ending production. From today, the sunset window is open on both the Pledge Store — including any buyback queue items involving the Mk I — and in-game vendors. That window closes September 30, 2026. After that date, the ship will no longer be purchasable through standard channels.

But if you already own one, nothing changes. It remains fully flyable and fully supported, continuing to receive bug fixes and feature updates in line with the rest of the fleet. CIG has drawn a direct parallel to the retired Anvil Hornet Mk I — still in the 'verse, still respected, and increasingly rare. The expectation is that the Aurora Mk I settles into a similar classic collector status: a piece of Star Citizen history that tells a story just by sitting on the pad.

Whether future in-game acquisition methods might emerge for collector's items like this remains an open question — CIG has kept that door ajar without committing to anything specific.

Mk I Paints Don't Carry Over

One practical note worth flagging: Aurora Mk I and Mk II paints are not cross-compatible. The two ships are distinct chassis, not variants of a shared platform, so any paint you own for the Mk I — including the celebration livery — stays with the Mk I. If you're transitioning to the Mk II, you'll be starting fresh on cosmetics.

A Ship Worth Remembering

The Aurora Mk I was never the fastest, the most combat-capable, or the most glamorous ship in the hangar. It was never supposed to be. It was the ship that said yes — yes, you can fly, yes, you can explore, yes, there's a universe out here waiting. For over a decade it made good on that promise to hundreds of thousands of pilots.

The Mk II carries that mission forward. But the original deserves its send-off, and RSI has made sure it gets one.

If you've been thinking about picking up an Aurora Mk I — or the Special Edition — the clock is running. September 30, 2026 is the last call.

Source: RSI Aurora Mk I Celebration