Himeko Nova headlines Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.4 as a 5-star Fire character who walks the Erudition Path. Her banner, Ad Astra Nova, runs through both halves of the update, and it comes with a fixed set of rate-up 4-star characters plus boosted 4-star Light Cones. Her signature Light Cone, A Star That Lights the Night, is pulled from a separate weapon banner called Brilliant Fixation during the same window.
Quick answer: The three featured 4-star characters on Ad Astra Nova are Moze, Hanya, and Serval. The three boosted 4-star Light Cones are Under the Blue Sky, After the Carmony Fall, and The Birth of the Self. All of them share the raised 4-star drop rate, which is guaranteed at least once every 10 warps.
Featured 4-star characters on Ad Astra Nova
Three 4-star characters appear with a boosted drop rate for the full length of the banner. When you pull a 4-star, it has a raised chance of being one of these three rather than a standard pool unit.
| Character | Path | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Moze | The Hunt | Lightning |
| Hanya | Harmony | Physical |
| Serval | Erudition | Lightning |
Serval shares the Erudition Path with Himeko Nova, so pulling for the 5-star also gives you extra chances at a same-Path 4-star. Because a maxed 4-star (E6) is far stronger than a single copy, these three are the units that turn “failed” 5-star pulls into account progress.
Boosted 4-star Light Cones on the banner
The character banner also carries three rate-up 4-star Light Cones. These appear alongside the featured 5-star weapon and have their drop rates substantially increased.
| 4-star Light Cone | Path |
|---|---|
| Under the Blue Sky | Destruction |
| After the Carmony Fall | Erudition |
| The Birth of the Self | Erudition |
Two of the three are Erudition Light Cones, matching Himeko Nova’s Path. If you plan to run her without her signature weapon, these are useful budget options you can pick up in the same warp session.
Himeko Nova’s signature Light Cone
Her 5-star signature, A Star That Lights the Night, does not sit on the character banner. It is featured on the separate Brilliant Fixation weapon banner during the same July 14 to August 25 window. The Light Cone follows the Erudition Path and raises the wearer’s ATK, adds DEF ignore when two Trailblaze Companion characters are on the team, and stacks Assist Skill and Ultimate damage bonuses through its “Safe Escort” effect.
Note: the character banner and the Light Cone banner use independent pity counters. Warps spent on one do not build progress toward the other.
Ad Astra Nova schedule and warp rates
The banner stays live across both phases of Version 4.4, so you have the entire patch to pull for Himeko Nova rather than a single half.
| Server | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| America (UTC-5) | Jul. 14, 2026, 10:00 PM | Aug. 25, 2026, 2:59 PM |
| Europe (UTC+1) | Jul. 15, 2026, 4:00 AM | Aug. 25, 2026, 2:59 PM |
| Asia (UTC+8) | Jul. 15, 2026, 11:00 AM | Aug. 25, 2026, 2:59 PM |
The pull rates match a standard character event warp. Use them to plan how many Star Rail Special Passes you need.
| Rarity | Base rate | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| 5★ character | 0.6% | After 90 total warps |
| 4★ character or Light Cone | 2.55% | After 10 total warps |
| 3★ Light Cone | 94.3% | — |
There is a 50% chance your first featured 5-star is Himeko Nova. If you instead pull one of the standard 5-star characters, your next 5-star on this banner is guaranteed to be her.
How to confirm the rate-up before you warp
Open the Warp screen in-game and select Ad Astra Nova. The banner details panel lists the boosted 4-star characters and Light Cones directly. If Moze, Hanya, and Serval appear as the featured 4-stars, you are on the correct banner and the raised rates apply to every 10-pull.
The signature weapon and the character live on two different tabs. Check the header before spending passes so you do not commit currency to the wrong pity track. With both banners running for the full patch, you can secure the featured 4-stars, grab the Erudition Light Cones for a budget build, and time your 5-star pulls around the guarantee at your own pace.
