diff --git a/app/api/crew/route.ts b/app/api/crew/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ca4457
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/api/crew/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import { getGameDb } from '@/lib/db/client'
+import { getCrewState } from '@/lib/game/save'
+
+// The ship's crew roster: starting crew plus members found while exploring. Auto-initializes on first hit.
+export async function GET() {
+  const db = await getGameDb()
+  return Response.json(await getCrewState(db))
+}
diff --git a/lib/openapi.test.ts b/lib/openapi.test.ts
index 4da6060..1538aca 100644
--- a/lib/openapi.test.ts
+++ b/lib/openapi.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { openApiSpec } from './openapi';
 describe('OpenAPI spec', () => {
   it('documents every public endpoint', () => {
     expect(Object.keys(openApiSpec.paths).sort()).toEqual([
+      '/api/crew',
       '/api/explore',
       '/api/jump',
       '/api/system',
@@ -13,6 +14,19 @@ describe('OpenAPI spec', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it('describes /api/crew as an array of CrewMember and crewFound on ExploreResult', () => {
+    const crew = openApiSpec.paths['/api/crew'].get.responses[200].content['application/json'].schema;
+    expect(crew.type).toBe('array');
+    expect((crew.items as { $ref: string }).$ref).toBe('#/components/schemas/CrewMember');
+
+    const member = openApiSpec.components.schemas.CrewMember.properties;
+    expect(Object.keys(member)).toEqual(['id', 'name', 'role', 'trait_good', 'trait_bad', 'origin']);
+
+    const exploreResult = openApiSpec.components.schemas.ExploreResult as { allOf: unknown[] };
+    const extra = (exploreResult.allOf[1] as { properties: Record<string, unknown> }).properties;
+    expect(Object.keys(extra)).toEqual(['outcome', 'crewFound']);
+  });
+
   it('describes the system endpoints as SystemState in and out', () => {
     const system = openApiSpec.paths['/api/system'].get.responses[200].content['application/json'].schema;
     expect(system.$ref).toBe('#/components/schemas/SystemState');
diff --git a/lib/openapi.ts b/lib/openapi.ts
index cb22c07..3102655 100644
--- a/lib/openapi.ts
+++ b/lib/openapi.ts
@@ -168,6 +168,24 @@ export const openApiSpec = {
         },
       },
     },
+    '/api/crew': {
+      get: {
+        summary: 'Crew roster',
+        description:
+          'The ship crew in join order — the starting crew (seeded on new game) plus members found while exploring planets/moons. Each member has one good and one bad trait and an origin. Auto-initializes a new game when no save exists yet.',
+        operationId: 'getCrew',
+        responses: {
+          200: {
+            description: 'Crew roster',
+            content: {
+              'application/json': {
+                schema: { type: 'array', items: { $ref: '#/components/schemas/CrewMember' } },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    },
   },
   components: {
     schemas: {
@@ -245,6 +263,18 @@ export const openApiSpec = {
         },
         required: ['kind', 'name', 'qty'],
       },
+      CrewMember: {
+        type: 'object',
+        properties: {
+          id: { type: 'integer' },
+          name: { type: 'string' },
+          role: { type: 'string', description: 'Ship role, e.g. PILOT or ENGINEER' },
+          trait_good: { type: 'string', description: 'The member good trait' },
+          trait_bad: { type: 'string', description: 'The member bad trait' },
+          origin: { type: 'string', description: "'STARTING CREW' or '<planet>, <system>' for members found while exploring" },
+        },
+        required: ['id', 'name', 'role', 'trait_good', 'trait_bad', 'origin'],
+      },
       SystemState: {
         type: 'object',
         properties: {
@@ -278,8 +308,12 @@ export const openApiSpec = {
                 description: 'What this scan found — may be empty (some scans find nothing)',
                 items: { $ref: '#/components/schemas/FoundItem' },
               },
+              crewFound: {
+                description: 'A crew member who joined the ship on this scan (~18% of scans), null when none',
+                anyOf: [{ $ref: '#/components/schemas/CrewMember' }, { type: 'null' }],
+              },
             },
-            required: ['outcome'],
+            required: ['outcome', 'crewFound'],
           },
         ],
       },