Launch Site in Rust is one of the best monuments on the map - a top-tier where most of the action naturally happens. This is where the Bradley tank rolls around, elite crates spawn, and in general you can pull out a ton of juicy loot. The price for all this - high risk: radiation, constant PvP, and roof campers or rats sitting by the recycler. In this Launch Site guide we’ll break down what to bring, how the monument is laid out, where to turn on fuses, how to use the green and red cards, where exactly the best loot is, and how to squeeze the maximum value out of this monument both solo and in a group.
Why Launch Site is a top monument
Launch Site is considered one of the best monuments in Rust for three main reasons:
-
it gives you access to elite crates and military crates on the roof of the main building;
-
the Bradley tank patrols here and drops rare weapons and explosive loot;
-
the red room and the top of Launch Site consistently give you the kind of loot that actually makes it worth leaving your base in late game.
The downside is obvious: it’s one of the most contested spots on the map. If the server is alive, someone is almost always at Launch Site.
Preparing for Launch Site: what to bring
Radiation and hazmat
Launch Site is a high-radiation area. Even in a hazmat suit you’ll still be taking damage inside the main building. The bare minimum you need is:
-
a hazmat suit or a clothing/armor combo with around 25 radiation protection or higher;
-
enough water, anti-rad pills and a lot of syringes to keep your HP up and slowly clear radiation.
Keycards and fuses
For a full run you’ll need:
-
a green keycard - used in one of the rooms in the building slightly to the right of the main entrance;
-
a red keycard - to open the main building with the big loot;
-
2 fuses - one for the green section, one for the red section.
Weapons, meds and extras
A minimal “comfortable” kit for Launch Site looks like this:
-
weapons: Thompson/SAR/MP5, ideally an AK or SAR with a sight;
-
armor: jacket + hoodie/pants + wolf headdress with bandana, or even better - full hazmat;
-
meds: 10-12 bandages, 16-18 syringes, a bit of water or anti-rad pills;
-
extras: flashlight or laser on your gun, a couple of grenades.
With this setup Launch Site stops looking like pure suicide and becomes a calculated risk.
Layout of Launch Site: key zones and important spots
Launch Site is a huge monument, but you don’t have to memorize every corner of the “maze”. It’s more important to understand a few key zones:
-
Central yard - the open area where Bradley patrols. Tons of angles and basically no real cover.
-
Three hangars - along one side of the monument. Between them you’ll find part of the puzzle where you activate things for the red card using the green one.
-
Three large silos - next to them is a building where you flip one of the switches for the main red puzzle.
-
Main building (rocket complex) - the huge concrete structure with radiation inside and the best loot rooms.
-
Recycler - sits next to one of the hangars, which makes Launch Site convenient for scrap farming between runs.
All the truly best loot is at the top of the main building. Everything else is a nice bonus.
The main Launch Site puzzle: green + red card
Now for the fun part: how to complete the main Launch Site puzzle and get into the rocket building. The route is a bit tricky the first time, but after a couple of runs it becomes muscle memory.
What you need
-
green keycard;
-
red keycard;
-
2 fuses;
-
hazmat and solid meds (the radiation inside really hurts).
Where to turn on the fuses at Launch Site
-
First fuse - building by the three silos (green door)
Head to the structure next to the three large silos. On the front you’ll see a green door.
-
swipe the green card;
-
inside you’ll find a fuse box and a switch;
-
put the fuse in and flip the switch.
-
-
Second fuse - small building by the main complex
Now run to the far side of the big building, to a small annex next to two blue containers.
-
go inside, there’s another fuse box and switch;
-
put in the second fuse and flip the switch.
-
-
Red door - entrance to the main building
After both fuses are on, head to one of the red doors on the main building.
-
swipe your red card;
-
the door opens for a limited time, so don’t AFK.
-
Where the best loot is
Inside the main building you’ll run into:
-
scientists roaming the floors;
-
radiation slowly chewing through your HP;
-
several rooms with crates - but the real jackpot is on the roof, near the rocket shaft.
The rough route looks like this:
-
Enter through the red door and carefully clear scientists as you climb the stairs.
-
On the way up, grab military crates and regular crates with components.
-
On the roof you’ll find elite crates and high-tier loot - this is what most people actually come to Launch Site for.
Don’t hang around too long: between radiation and other players, staying “for just one more crate” quickly turns into a wasted run.
Bradley tank: is it worth killing?
Bradley is the armored NPC tank that patrols the central yard of Launch Site. It shoots at any player in the open with a machine gun and rockets.
How to kill it
The most reliable methods are:
-
rockets / HV rockets from a rocket launcher;
-
a combo of C4 and rockets;
-
sometimes people use MLRS rockets, but that’s more for fun than efficiency.
After you destroy Bradley, burning wreckage remains in the yard, and after a short delay three locked crates spawn with a high chance of explosives, weapons, HQM, scrap and other valuable loot. Before you can loot them you either have to wait for the fire to die down or put it out with smoke or water.
One important thing: the sound of Bradley exploding can be heard across half the map, so in a couple of minutes other players will almost always start rotating towards you. Bradley is always a risky play, but it’s also one of the fattest sources of good loot in the game.
Tactics for solo and group runs
Launch Site solo
If you’re running Launch Site solo, there are a few core principles:
-
Play off-peak - early morning or deep night for the server, when there are fewer people.
-
Minimize noise - use suppressors when you can and don’t shoot scientists you can simply avoid.
-
Do short runs - don’t try to loot everything in one go, it’s better to make more frequent trips and get home with what you’ve already secured.
-
Avoid Bradley when possible - if you didn’t come specifically for the tank, it’s usually easier to route around it or wait until it drives off to another part of the yard.
Launch Site with a group
Launch Site really shines in a group:
-
you can split roles - some clear scientists, others watch angles and roofs;
-
it’s easier to control approaches to the main building and Bradley’s wreckage;
-
it’s simpler to hold red rooms and the roof while one or two teammates quickly loot.
Of course, the more of you there are, the more noise you make - and the more attractive a target you become for other teams and clans.
Quick checklist before heading to Launch Site
Run through this list before you step out of your base:
-
do you have a hazmat or enough rad protection?
-
did you grab green and red keycards?
-
are there 2 fuses in your inventory?
-
do you have enough ammo and syringes?
-
is your gun and armor fully repaired?
-
do you have a plan for how you’re leaving Launch Site (escape route, transport, bags/stashes nearby)?
Conclusion
Launch Site in Rust is one of the riskiest and most profitable monuments in the game. It gives you access to elite crates, a huge amount of scrap, top-tier weapons and explosives - but in return it demands solid preparation, puzzle knowledge, good routing and experience fighting both scientists and real players.
If you learn how to clear the puzzles cleanly and quickly, flip the fuses and switches correctly, follow the best loot route on Launch Site and pick the right moments when the server is less busy, this monument stops being a scary “sweat only” place and turns into a consistent source of progress every single wipe.
Launch Site is the top monument on the map, and CobaltLab is the top Rust-themed project for those who love taking risks and chasing beautiful loot.
