Search and Rescue

Search and Rescue is a system in Mass Effect 3 that replaces the Planet Scanning mini-game from Mass Effect 2. The Normandy SR-2 is equipped with a new and improved scanning pulse that can detect objects of interest. This can be used to uncover war assets, artifacts, intel, and fuel as the player flies around a new system. The pulse is used to locate points of interest throughout the systems you scan and can only scan a small portion at a time so multiple scans are required to cover an entire system. This also included empty space between the planets as there might be wreckage floating around with something valuable inside.

Mechanics
The scanning itself is done by a push of a button wherein a pulse originates out from the ship for a short distance revealing anything of interest within its effective range. Once a point of interest is found, be it something on a planet or a wreck in space, it shows up with a marker that allows the player to fly to it. When flying over a wreck, the player may interact with the object by investigating it. If the object is on a planet, the Normandy must be flown into the planet's atmosphere. From here, the player may scan the planet's surface in a manner similar to the Planet Scanning system of Mass Effect 2. When the point of interest is located, a probe must be sent out to retrieve it.

It is possible to find and salvage non-planet-based wreckage without using the scanner. When the Normandy flies past wreckage, a sound can be heard. The player can then double click (on the PC) on that spot to salvage the fuel from the wreckage without having first scanned it. Note that salvaging wreckage in this manner will not cause the "XX% Assets Recovered" indicator to be displayed, although it will be updated if it is already displayed.

In total, 1290 War Assets can be obtained from the Search and Rescue system, with an additional 200 from Mass Effect 3: Leviathan, 440 from artifacts, and 50 from completing Aria: Blue Suns using the Paragon route. A total of 100,000 credits can be salvaged, with an additional 10,000 from Mass Effect 3: Leviathan and 170,000 from artifacts. In addition, 7 Intel items can be found.

Reaper detection
Every scanning sweep done in a system that does not contain a mission fills a small meter that indicates the Reapers' growing awareness of the Normandy's location. This bar fills faster or slower depending on how many entry points to the system the Reapers have, and how close to them the player is when the Scanner is used. Once the meter fills, all Reapers occupying the system enter it, and chase the Normandy. The only way to evade capture and destruction by the Reapers is to exit the system, either by reaching the system boundaries or by reaching the mass relay in a gateway system.

Although Reapers will eventually reach higher speed than the Normandy, they lack acceleration and nimbleness. One can easily scan the system quickly to find all the points of interest and then evade the Reapers. Reapers do not advance on you as you investigate a place of interest. However, it is not suggested that you conduct a mission while Reapers are in your system. Note that sending a scanning pulse will momentarily decrease your speed slightly.

The Reaper awareness meter is reset after completing a mission. The location of your ship when re-entering an alarmed system depends on the way your ship faces before entering.

Detection Types
NOTE: The identity of an object found on a planet is only revealed after a probe has been launched to its location.

Planet Scanning Guide
This table contains the locations of various wreck, war asset, upgrade, credit or quest specific item, listed by cluster, system, and planet. Several clusters and some systems do not have any items to find in the galaxy map and are thus not on this list. These areas are the Annos Basin, Far Rim, Horse Head Nebula, Kepler Verge, Ninmah Cluster, Perseus Veil, Petra Nebula, Serpent Nebula, and Shadow Sea clusters, as well as the Trebia system in the Apien Crest cluster, the Arrae system in the Minos Wasteland, and the Mesana system in the Nimbus Cluster.

1 Requires Mass Effect 3: Leviathan