Expeditions are fresh adventures that give players rare rewards. You can create a new save file when you start an expedition to start over with a new, random character. However, there is a way to use an existing save file to start an expedition in No Man's Sky.

You cannot use an existing save file to start an expedition from the No Man's Sky menu, but you can from the Expedition Terminus in the Anomaly. Load the save file you want to use for your expedition and head to the Anomaly. After you leave your ship and head to the entrance, you'll see a terminal full of location icons to the right of the entrance ramp near the Nexus.

You can keep your appearance with the starting gear from a previously existing save file, and even bring technology and cargo items with you to the Expedition. Creating an Expedition save file will not affect your main save file, so don't worry about overwriting your main save file.

You can select up to eight Technology Packs and 24 stacks of elements or junk that may be useful during your journey, thus avoiding wasting time by collecting those elements. However, you will not carry these items that you selected from the beginning. You must reach the Anomaly during the Expedition to be able to obtain them.