# Launch Your First Freighter

This tutorial takes you from an empty console to a freighter in the Sol–Centauri warp lane. It is
made up entirely of steps, so the steps themselves are what shows up in "On this page".

<Stepper>

1. **Provision a Docking Bay**

   Every shipment leaves from a docking bay. Claim one in the region closest to your cargo so the
   manifest doesn't have to cross a customs boundary before it's even sealed.

   ```sh
   cosmocargo bays create --region sol-belt --name first-freighter
   ```

   :::tip

   Bay names are galaxy-unique. If the name is taken, the CLI suggests the next free one.

   :::

1. **Register Your Cargo**

   Describe what you're shipping. The mass and hazard class decide which hulls the router will
   consider, so getting them right here saves a rejection at the spaceport later.

   ```js title="register-cargo.js"
   const cargo = await cosmocargo.cargo.register({
     bay: "first-freighter",
     items: ["hydroponics-module", "spare-coolant"],
     weight: "1200kg",
     hazardClass: "none",
   });
   ```

1. **Plot a Warp Lane**

   Ask the router for a lane between your origin and destination. It returns every lane that can
   carry your cargo, cheapest first.

   ```sh
   cosmocargo lanes plot --from earth --to centauri-prime --cargo $CARGO_ID
   ```

   :::warning

   Lanes through the Kuiper corridor close during solar maximum. The router hides them
   automatically, but a pinned lane id will start failing — plot fresh lanes each run.

   :::

1. **Seal the Manifest**

   Sealing freezes the cargo list and signs it. Nothing can be added after this point, so run your
   inventory check first.

   ```sh
   cosmocargo manifests seal --cargo $CARGO_ID
   ```

1. **Launch and Track**

   With a sealed manifest the freighter is cleared for departure. Launch it, then follow the
   quantum-entangled telemetry feed until it drops out of warp.

   ```sh
   cosmocargo launch --manifest $MANIFEST_ID --watch
   ```

   Your first freighter is away. 🚀

</Stepper>