The long delay of Elite Dangerous' massive fleet carriers (ships that can repair, refuel, and transport other vessels) is finally coming to an end. Frontier Developments announced today that the beta will begin next month and will be fully released in June.

The first beta will begin on April 7, with a second and final beta test of the carrier to follow in May. A new trailer will be released next week, and Frontier will showcase the first fleet carrier gameplay during a live streaming on April 2.

The individually owned ships will cost a whopping 5 billion credits and represent the largest investment in the game. There are 16 landing pads of various sizes, with a jump range of 500 light years. [Once purchased, players can decide which onboard services to open up, such as repair docks, fueling stations, and shipyards. Players can trade while using the services, and the carrier owner can set tariffs on all goods traded on board to support weekly maintenance costs. These costs would include the purchase of tritium, the new fuel commodity that powers the ship. If owners consistently default on payments, fleet carriers may eventually be decommissioned and sold for parts. [For more information, watch the live stream on April 2, starting at 18:00 GMT/10:00 PST/13:00 EST.