The Beacon is a deployable, placeable navigation signal marker. In a game where the developers have confirmed there is no in-game map — navigation relies on the compass, landmarks, the Lifepod waypoint and XYZ coordinates — Beacons are not optional polish, they are core wayfinding infrastructure.
Use them to mark resource sites, forward bases, biome boundaries and the safe approach to hazards like the Alien Ruins. Other deployables include the Portable Oxygen Generator and Expanded / High Capacity Deployable Lockers.