Petra Olmanova
EDFM // Engineering / Engineers
A Grade 5 armour, explosive-weapon, and defensive-utility Engineer based at Sanctuary in the Colonia region, reached through Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn.
Petra Olmanova is a ship Engineer based at Sanctuary in the Asura system of the Colonia region. She is reached through Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn and has unusually broad Grade 5 coverage across armour, reinforcement modules, explosive weapons, and defensive utility equipment.[1]
Petra provides Grade 5 Engineering for every conventional module type she supports. This includes Armour, Hull Reinforcement Packages, Auto Field-Maintenance Units, Chaff Launchers, Electronic Countermeasures, Heat Sink Launchers, Point Defence, Mine Launchers, Missile Racks, Seeker Missile Racks, and Torpedo Pylons.[1]
In Live, she also provides the Operations-era Heavy Duty Module Reinforcement Package blueprint through Grade 5 for compatible Merc modules.[2]
Field note
Petra is one of the four ship Engineers based in the Colonia region. Receiving her referral does not provide remote access to her workshop; you must travel to Asura to complete the unlock and apply Experimental Effects.
Location
- System: Asura
- Facility: Sanctuary
- Body: Asura 1 d
- Region: Colonia
- Engineer type: Ship Engineer
- Referral required: Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn
- System permit required: No
Sanctuary is a surface Engineer base on Asura 1 d.[3]
Important
Asura is in the Colonia region, roughly 22,000 light-years from the core inhabited Bubble. If you are travelling to Colonia primarily for Engineering, prepare the unlock requirements for the other Colonia Engineers before leaving whenever practical.
How to Discover Petra Olmanova
Petra Olmanova is discovered through Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn.
Reach Grade 3 access and progress at least one-third of the way toward Grade 4 with Tod to receive his referral to Petra.[4]
Tod can also refer Commanders to Selene Jean. Petra and Selene are therefore parallel referrals from Tod rather than one being required for the other.
Field note
Receiving Tod's referral makes Petra known to you. Her separate Combat-rank requirement must still be satisfied before her workshop can be unlocked.
How to Receive an Invitation
Reach the Pilots Federation Combat rank of Expert or higher.[1]
The Combat-rank progression leading to Expert is:
Harmless
└── Mostly Harmless
└── Novice
└── Competent
└── Expert
If your Combat rank is already Expert, Master, Dangerous, Deadly, Elite, or one of the higher Elite tiers, Petra's meeting requirement has been satisfied.
See Combat Rank for how Combat rank is earned and how to check your current progress.
Field note
Petra requires Expert, which is lower than the Dangerous rank required by Lori Jameson. A Commander does not need to reach Elite Combat rank to meet Petra.
How to Unlock Petra Olmanova
To gain access to Petra's Engineering workshop:
- Reach Grade 3 access and at least one-third progress toward Grade 4 with Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn.
- Receive Tod's referral to Petra Olmanova.
- Reach Expert or higher in Combat Rank.
- Obtain 200 units of Progenitor Cells.
- Travel to Sanctuary on Asura 1 d in Asura.
- Donate the 200 Progenitor Cells to Petra Olmanova.
- Enter the Engineer workshop and begin increasing your reputation with Petra.
Important
Progenitor Cells are an ordinary commodity. They are not Raw, Manufactured, or Encoded Engineering materials. Each unit occupies one tonne of cargo space, so carrying the full unlock requirement at once requires 200 tonnes of cargo capacity.[5]
Obtaining Progenitor Cells
Progenitor Cells are a Medicine commodity normally produced by High Tech economies.[5]
They can be purchased through ordinary commodity markets, so you do not need to mine, salvage, or collect them as Engineering materials.
Petra requires 200 units in total.
Tip
Because Petra is in Colonia, buy the Progenitor Cells from a current market in or near the Colonia region rather than transporting 200 tonnes all the way from the Bubble.
Market supply changes over time, so use current market information when choosing where to purchase them rather than relying on a permanently listed station.
Player-owned Fleet Carriers may also sell Progenitor Cells when another Commander has placed them on the carrier market. Carrier stock and prices are player-controlled and can change.
See Progenitor Cells for current acquisition methods.
Field note
Current Engineer data notes that station services may not become available immediately after Petra is unlocked. If the workshop or other expected services do not appear after completing the unlock, logging out and back in may make them available.[1]
Increasing Engineer Reputation
Reputation with Petra Olmanova is increased by:
- crafting Engineering modifications at Sanctuary.[1]
Current Engineer data does not list commodity sales, exploration data, bounty vouchers, or another secondary reputation method for Petra.
Higher Engineer reputation gives access to the higher grades Petra supports for each blueprint.
See Engineer Reputation for how ship Engineer reputation, grade access, blueprint progression, referrals, and alternative reputation methods work.
Tip
Because Petra's reputation is raised through Engineering itself, consider arriving with enough Engineering materials to perform several useful modifications rather than travelling to Colonia with only the Progenitor Cells needed for her unlock.
Engineer Unlock Chain
Petra Olmanova belongs to the Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn branch of the ship Engineer network.
The direct route is:
Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn └── Petra Olmanova [Colonia]
Tod also provides a referral to Selene Jean, who leads to Bill Turner and Didi Vatermann:
Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn ├── Selene Jean │ ├── Bill Turner │ └── Didi Vatermann └── Petra Olmanova [Colonia]
Petra Olmanova does not currently lead to another Engineer in the ship Engineer referral network.[6]
Field note
Petra's location in Colonia does not make the other Colonia Engineers part of her referral chain. Mel Brandon, Marsha Hicks, and Etienne Dorn are reached through different Bubble Engineers.
See Engineer Unlock Guide for the complete referral network.
Available Engineering
Petra's Engineering coverage is unusually broad. The table below lists the current conventional blueprints verified for her workshop.[1]
| Module | Available blueprints | Maximum grade |
|---|---|---|
| Armour |
|
Grade 5 |
| Hull Reinforcement Package |
|
Grade 5 |
| Module Reinforcement Package |
|
Grade 5 |
| Auto Field-Maintenance Unit |
|
Grade 5 |
| Chaff Launcher |
|
Grade 5 |
| Electronic Countermeasure |
|
Grade 5 |
| Heat Sink Launcher |
|
Grade 5 |
| Point Defence |
|
Grade 5 |
| Mine Launcher |
|
Grade 5 |
| Missile Rack |
|
Grade 5 |
| Seeker Missile Rack |
|
Grade 5 |
| Torpedo Pylon |
|
Grade 5 |
Field note
The Grade 1 limit on Ammo Capacity for Chaff Launchers, Heat Sink Launchers, and Point Defence is a property of the blueprint itself. Those modifications do not have higher conventional grades.
Operations-era Module Reinforcement Engineering
The Heavy Duty Module Reinforcement Package blueprint is part of the Operations-era Engineering additions.[7]
Petra can apply it through Grade 5.[2]
At Grade 5, the current blueprint provides:
- +25% integrity
- +25% damage protection
- +100% mass[2]
Important
Selene Jean also provides this blueprint through Grade 5.
Experimental Effects
Experimental Effects are separate from the main Engineering blueprint.
Petra can apply Experimental Effects to her Armour, Hull Reinforcement Packages, Module Reinforcement Packages, Mine Launchers, Missile Racks, Seeker Missile Racks, and Torpedo Pylons.
Her Auto Field-Maintenance Units, Chaff Launchers, Electronic Countermeasures, Heat Sink Launchers, and Point Defence do not currently use ordinary Experimental Effects.
Armour
Available Armour Experimental Effects include:[8]
Hull Reinforcement Package
Available Hull Reinforcement Package Experimental Effects include:[9]
Module Reinforcement Package
In Live, compatible Heavy Duty Module Reinforcement Packages support:[2]
Mine Launcher
Available Mine Launcher Experimental Effects include:[10]
- Double Braced
- Emissive Munitions
- Flow Control
- Ion Disruption
- Overload Munitions
- Oversized
- Radiant Canister
- Reverberating Cascade
- Shift-lock Canister
- Stripped Down
Missile Rack
Available Missile Rack Experimental Effects include:[11]
- Double Braced
- Emissive Munitions
- Flow Control
- FSD Interrupt
- Multi-servos
- Overload Munitions
- Oversized
- Penetrator Munitions
- Stripped Down
- Thermal Cascade
Seeker Missile Rack
Available Seeker Missile Rack Experimental Effects include:[12]
- Double Braced
- Drag Munitions
- Emissive Munitions
- Flow Control
- Multi-servos
- Overload Munitions
- Oversized
- Stripped Down
- Thermal Cascade
Torpedo Pylon
Available Torpedo Pylon Experimental Effects include:[13]
- Double Braced
- Flow Control
- Mass Lock Munition
- Oversized
- Penetrator Payload
- Reverberating Cascade
- Stripped Down
See Experimental Effects for the effects, tradeoffs, and material costs of each option.
Field note
Experimental Effects cannot be applied through ordinary Remote Engineering. The module must be taken to an Engineer who works on that module.
Recommended Engineering
Petra's broad Grade 5 coverage makes her useful for several very different types of builds.
Armour
Petra provides the same maximum-grade conventional Armour Engineering as Selene Jean.
A common general-purpose hull-strength configuration is:
- Heavy Duty Armour
- Deep Plating
Heavy Duty Armour increases hull integrity and all three conventional resistances at the cost of additional Armour mass.
Tip
Lightweight Alloy exception
Heavy Duty Engineering does not add mass to the ship's stock Lightweight Alloy Armour because that Armour has zero base mass.
This makes Heavy Duty + Deep Plating particularly attractive on many ships that retain their standard Lightweight Alloy bulkheads.
Resistance-oriented Armour blueprints remain useful when the objective is correcting a specific weakness rather than maximizing raw hull integrity.
See Hull Tanking for how Armour, Hull Reinforcement Packages, resistances, hardness, and Module Reinforcement Packages interact.
Hull Reinforcement Packages
For general combat use, a common starting point is:
- Heavy Duty
- Deep Plating
This combination substantially increases raw hull reinforcement.
Tip
A hull tank does not necessarily need every HRP configured identically. One or more resistance-oriented Hull Reinforcement Packages can be used to correct weak kinetic, thermal, or explosive resistance while the remaining packages focus on raw integrity.
Heat Sink Launchers
Petra provides both Grade 5 Lightweight utility engineering and the Grade 1 Ammo Capacity blueprint for Heat Sink Launchers.
Ammo Capacity increases maximum Heat Sink ammunition by 50%, at the cost of greater mass and a longer reload time.[14]
Lightweight instead reduces module mass substantially, making it useful on exploration and other mass-sensitive ships.[15]
The correct choice depends on whether additional Heat Sink ammunition or reduced ship mass matters more for the build.
Auto Field-Maintenance Unit
Petra provides Shielded Auto Field-Maintenance Unit Engineering through Grade 5.[16]
Shielded increases AFMU integrity at the cost of additional power draw.
This is a specialized modification rather than an automatic choice for every exploration ship, since AFMUs are commonly powered down when they are not actively repairing another module.
Missile weapons
Petra provides Grade 5 conventional Engineering for:
- Mine Launchers;
- Missile Racks;
- Seeker Missile Racks; and
- Torpedo Pylons.
For general missile use, High Capacity is often useful because missile weapons are strongly constrained by their ammunition reserve.
The appropriate Experimental Effect depends heavily on the role of the weapon.
Examples include:
- Drag Munitions on Seeker Missiles to interfere with target thrust;
- FSD Interrupt on dumbfire Missile Racks;
- Penetrator Munitions for attacking internal modules;
- Reverberating Cascade on Mines or Torpedoes for specialized anti-shield-generator roles; and
- Thermal Cascade for additional heat pressure.
These are role-specific effects rather than universal upgrades.
Blueprint Pinning
After earning sufficient reputation with Petra, one of her blueprints can be pinned for use through Remote Engineering.
Tip
EDFM recommendation: Heavy Duty Armour is a strong blueprint to consider pinning at Petra.
Petra and Selene Jean both provide Grade 5 Armour and Hull Reinforcement Package Engineering. Using Petra for Heavy Duty Armour and Selene for Heavy Duty Hull Reinforcement Package allows both commonly used hull-strength blueprints to remain available through Remote Engineering at the same time.
If those blueprints are already covered by your existing pins, Petra's broad Grade 5 weapon and utility coverage gives several other viable choices.
Because Petra is located in Colonia, choosing a useful pinned blueprint before returning to the Bubble can save a very long future trip for ordinary blueprint work.
Important
A pinned blueprint does not allow you to apply Experimental Effects remotely. Effects such as Deep Plating, Drag Munitions, or Reverberating Cascade still require visiting an appropriate Engineer workshop.
What Petra Cannot Fully Engineer
Petra provides Grade 5 access for every conventional module type she supports.[1]
Her supported module types include:
- Armour: Grade 5
- Hull Reinforcement Package: Grade 5
- Module Reinforcement Package — Heavy Duty: Grade 5 (Live only)
- Auto Field-Maintenance Unit: Grade 5
- Chaff Launcher: Grade 5
- Electronic Countermeasure: Grade 5
- Heat Sink Launcher: Grade 5
- Point Defence: Grade 5
- Mine Launcher: Grade 5
- Missile Rack: Grade 5
- Seeker Missile Rack: Grade 5
- Torpedo Pylon: Grade 5
Some individual utility blueprints, such as Ammo Capacity, exist only at Grade 1; this is the maximum grade of the blueprint itself rather than a limitation specific to Petra.
Petra does not engineer every defensive or explosive module. For example, she does not provide Engineering for:
- Shield Generators;
- Shield Boosters;
- Shield Cell Banks;
- Cannons;
- Fragment Cannons; or
- Multi-Cannons.
For related maximum-grade alternatives:
- Selene Jean provides Grade 5 Armour and Hull Reinforcement Package Engineering in the Bubble.
- Liz Ryder provides Grade 5 Missile Rack, Seeker Missile Rack, and Torpedo Pylon Engineering.
- Juri Ishmaak provides Grade 5 Mine Launcher Engineering.
- Ram Tah provides Grade 5 Chaff Launcher, Electronic Countermeasure, Heat Sink Launcher, and Point Defence Engineering.[6]
Petra's distinguishing advantage is the unusually large number of Grade 5 defensive and explosive-weapon module types available from a single Colonia workshop.
What Next?
Petra Olmanova is the end of her referral branch and does not currently introduce another Engineer.
If you have already travelled to Colonia, consider unlocking the other three Colonia ship Engineers before returning to the Bubble.
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Petra Olmanova — Engineer, Inara.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Module Reinforcement Package — Heavy Duty, Inara.
- ↑ Sanctuary — Station, Inara.
- ↑ Engineer Highlight, New Pilots Initiative.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Progenitor Cells — Commodity, Inara.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Engineers, Inara.
- ↑ Elite Dangerous: Operations — Update Notes, Frontier Developments.
- ↑ Armour — Heavy Duty, Inara.
- ↑ Hull Reinforcement Package — Heavy Duty, Inara.
- ↑ Mine Launcher — High Capacity, Inara.
- ↑ Missile Rack — High Capacity, Inara.
- ↑ Seeker Missile Rack — High Capacity, Inara.
- ↑ Torpedo Pylon — Lightweight, Inara.
- ↑ Heat Sink Launcher — Ammo Capacity, Inara.
- ↑ Heat Sink Launcher — Lightweight, Inara.
- ↑ Auto Field-Maintenance Unit — Shielded, Inara.