ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest can now be completed by installing the Gondola Prototype on any eligible map, even if you’ve done earlier objectives somewhere else. Embark changed this in Update 2.2.0 on October 20. There is still a bug affecting players who extract with the installation partly completed, so finish the interaction before leaving the raid.
The job is simple once you’ve prepared: scan a crashed Probe and Courier, bring four ARC parts to one broken gondola, install them and activate it. Below are the material sources and landmarks for all four prototype sites, including the East Plains location on Spaceport.
ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest: Update 2.2.0 changes
Embark’s October 20 patch notes confirm that only one completed installation at one location is needed. You don’t need to revisit the map where you scanned your crashed ARC Probe or Courier, and installing a second prototype is not an extra completion requirement. The patch changes how completion is registered across maps, not the list of materials you need.
Still broken: Embark separately warns that extracting while you have only partial installation progress can leave the quest unable to finish. Bring the required components, complete the repair and installation prompts, and check that the quest registers completion before extracting. If you already extracted partway through the repair and the quest will not complete, Embark still lists that softlock as a known issue in Update 2.2.0 and has not supplied a confirmed recovery method. Report the affected quest and map to Embark instead of using an unverified reset trick.
ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest: All Objectives in Order
The ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest has three main stages: investigate crashed ARC machines, gather four components and test a Gondola Prototype. Apollo’s instructions move forward as you finish each part. The two scans can be completed across separate raids. Carry all four materials on the installation run. Embark still warns that extracting after only part of the repair can block quest completion.
- Find and scan a crashed ARC Probe.
- Find and scan an ARC Courier.
- Collect one each of ARC Performance Steel, Pop Trigger, ARC Thermo Lining and ARC Synthetic Resin.
- Find a Gondola Prototype on one of the listed maps, install the four items and activate it.
- Extract and return to Apollo in Speranza to collect the quest rewards.
Where to scan a crashed ARC Probe and ARC Courier
Start the ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest by looking for crashed ARC machines on outdoor maps such as Spaceport or Dam Battlegrounds. Both wreck types can be spotted by a plume of dark smoke, and the appropriate Probe or Courier marker appears once you’re close enough. The objective is to scan each one, not merely loot it.
Approach the damaged machine, find the scan interaction and wait for the quest objective to register. You can then breach or salvage it for components if the area is safe. Scanning an ARC Probe and scanning an ARC Courier are separate tasks, so finding two Probes doesn’t substitute for the Courier.
The Electromagnetic Storm map condition is useful when you’re hunting crash sites. Even then, check the area for hostile ARC units and other Raiders before committing to an interaction. Scanning may leave you standing still long enough to become an easy target.
ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest: All Four Materials and Where to Find Them
Before searching for the gondola itself, collect the four repair components. Every listed item is needed once, and the ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest won’t reach the activation step until all four have been fitted. It’s worth checking your stash first; you may already own some from earlier raids.
- 1 ARC Performance Steel: salvage tougher ARC enemies such as Bastions, Bombardiers and Leapers, or search Baron Husks. Large ARC encounters are dangerous, so a husk may be the better opportunity if you’re travelling alone.
- 1 Pop Trigger: hunt the small exploding Pops or salvage a crashed ARC Courier. Keep your distance when engaging a live Pop so you don’t lose health while farming one part.
- 1 ARC Thermo Lining: look for components dropped by Pops or Fireballs, and check Baron Husks when you find them.
- 1 ARC Synthetic Resin: search crashed ARC Probes and Baron Husks. If you still need to scan a Probe, the same crash site can help with both objectives.
These are documented sources, not guaranteed drops from every enemy. If an ARC doesn’t give you the item you need, move on to another wreck or fight rather than assuming the quest is broken. The ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest is easier to finish when you enter your gondola raid with the complete set already packed.
ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest: Gondola Prototype Location on Spaceport
For the Spaceport route, head towards East Plains. The Gondola Prototype sits east of the eastern extraction elevator, north of Communications Tower and south of East Plains Warehouses. Look for a large, incomplete gondola lying on its side against crates near a small Raider structure.
Those three landmarks are more dependable than looking for a finished cable car. The prototype is a grounded, unfinished machine, not one of the working gondolas used for extraction on Pendola Pass. If you’re navigating by the map, aim for the open East Plains area between Communications Tower and the warehouses, then check beside the Raider-built structures.
ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest: Other Gondola Prototype Locations
You don’t have to start on Spaceport to complete the ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest. There are four prototypes to choose from. Embark’s October 20 fix means progress on one map no longer ties you to that map for installation. You only need to complete the test at one of these locations:
- Dam Battlegrounds: Red Lakes area.
- The Blue Gate: Farmlands area.
- Spaceport: East Plains, between the Communications Tower and East Plains Warehouses.
- Riven Tides: the southern end of Dried Riverbed, beneath a small bridge.
Pick whichever route is closest to your current spawn or best suits your extraction plan. Spaceport’s open East Plains and the bridge at Riven Tides are especially straightforward landmarks. Once you start the installation, finish it and activate the prototype before leaving.
How to repair and activate the Gondola Prototype
When you reach the machine, the ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest moves to a straightforward installation sequence if all four materials are in your inventory. Move around the frame and interact with each installation prompt. The components have separate slots, and the order you add them isn’t important.
- Install the ARC Performance Steel.
- Install the Pop Trigger.
- Install the ARC Thermo Lining.
- Install the ARC Synthetic Resin.
- Wait for all four repair objectives to register, then use Activate the Gondola Prototype.
The prototype malfunctions and explodes after activation. That’s the scripted result of the test, not a failed repair. Give the machine a little room while the sequence runs, then check that the quest objective has completed before you head for extraction.
ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest not working: missing installation prompts
Some players have reported problems with the ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest after installing only part of the required materials and returning on another raid. They describe missing interaction prompts or consumed parts without progress. Embark’s October 20 known-issues list now confirms that extraction with partial progress can leave this quest impossible to finish.
If a part won’t install, check the exact material in your backpack and confirm which prototype location is still active in your quest objectives. Players have reported missing prompts even when they return to the same site, and switching maps has not reliably helped. Restarting or switching maps is not a verified recovery method. If your tracker is stuck, save the details of which material was installed and where, then report the problem to Embark rather than spending another set of scarce components.
ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest rewards
Completing the ARC Raiders To the Skies Quest awards 8,000 XP, along with three ARC Performance Steel, three ARC Thermo Lining and three ARC Synthetic Resin. The listed rewards also include two Codex unlocks. Once the activation is recorded, extract and visit Apollo to claim your payout.
If you’re short on materials for other ARC projects, these rewards help replenish several of the components you used. The Pop Trigger isn’t included in the listed material payout, so don’t expect every installation item to be returned.
Related Guides
Official source: Embark’s Update 2.2.0 patch notes.
