Mass Effect 3 Athena Nebula Statue Quest Guide: Trigger, Location, Rewards
Mass Effect 3’s Athena Nebula: Hesperia-Period Statue side quest is a classic “go fetch an artifact, survive the route, and come back with proof” job—but it also ties into the game’s larger loop of exploring the galaxy, scanning planets, and routing resources into war assets. If you want the mission to go smoothly, here’s how to trigger it, where to locate the statue, and what you’ll earn for finishing the task.
Checklists before you start
This guide focuses on the Athena Nebula: Hesperia-Period Statue side mission—specifically where to find every required item, how to handle the combat encounters you’ll run into along the way, and what choices you should make during your run.
If you’re trying to jump straight to a specific step, the mission is broken into these sections: Mission Stats, Travel to Widow, Meet the Scientist, Find the Statue, and Deliver the Statue.
Mission Stats
Video Guide
Mission Rewards
- Reputation: +5
- Mission Credits: 15,000 credits
- War Asset: +40 TMS to Alliance Engineering Corps
Travel to Widow
- Prerequisite: Complete “Priority: The Citadel 2”
- Location: Serpent Nebula – Widow – Citadel – Presidium Commons
This side mission unlocks after you clear “Priority: The Citadel 2”. That event refreshes the Citadel with fresh side content, including this quest. The Citadel functions as the galaxy’s main hub, and it’s consistently shown in the western portion of the Milky Way.
Meet the Scientist
To kick things off, head to the Presidium Commons. From there, go left up the stairs. At the top, you’ll overhear an Asari speaking while seated on the couches to the right. She talks about Hesperia-Period statues and claims they carry Prothean inscriptions that are legendary for their accuracy, but notes that these artifacts are located in the Athena Nebula—which you can’t access freely.
That’s the opening: you’re being asked to step in and help with a problem that sounds like it’s right up your alley.
Find the Statue
- Location: Athena Nebula – Vernio – Polissa
The Hesperia-Period Statue you need is found in the Athena Nebula, described as sitting about halfway between the western edge of the Milky Way and the Serpent Nebula (the region where the Citadel is located).
From there, travel toward the Vernio system. The route costs roughly 240 fuel. Once you arrive, look for Polissa, the outer-most planet in the system, then scan it to confirm that something is present and worth retrieving.
After that, enter Polissa’s orbit. From orbit, locate the statue’s marked position and launch a Probe at it to secure the find.
While you’re in the Athena Nebula, it’s also worth grabbing the other Search and Rescue items available in the region, since the trip is already set up for scanning and probing.
Deliver the Statue
Once you’ve obtained the statue, head back to the Asari Scientist and speak with her again to finish the side mission. The completion rewards are +5 Reputation, 15,000 credits, and +40 TMS granted to the Alliance Engineering Corps.
If you want more help with Mass Effect 3, there are additional guide pages covering Legendary Edition Changes, How-To Guides, Key Choices and Consequences, a Romance Guide, Walkthrough coverage, and a broader set of Side Missions.
- Takeaway: This quest requires finishing “Priority: The Citadel 2” to access it during the Citadel refresh.
- Takeaway: The statue is in the Athena Nebula, specifically at Vernio’s outer planet Polissa.
- Takeaway: Scanning Polissa and using a Probe in orbit are the steps that move you from “location” to “retrieval.”
- Takeaway: Completion pays out Reputation, credits, and a TMS boost to the Alliance Engineering Corps.
Up Next: Benning: Evidence
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