You can check for proper cooling by running something like prime 95 and seeing where your temps get to using HWINFO. CPUs & GPUS should get to around 80 c max under load as a rule, and should never exceed 90c for long (rule of thumb - you can look up your specific values online if you need to). Thing is - overheating used to cause the machine to shut-down to protect itself. Nowadays most PC hardware has a thermistor embedded in it and an overwatching firmware which clocks it down it things get too toasty. Therefore when you run out of cooling you don't get runaway temperatures any more.
If it only ever crashes in NMS and this isn't the only game you play then it is probably more likely something to do with NMS than the PC itself. I would start by reinstalling it.
One thing to watch out for. Many steam players downloaded the Beta version (beta code 3xperimental) in order to try the Vulkan API. If you didn't clear that when the latest version dropped (which now supports it natively) you may still be using a Beta version of the game - which aren't guaranteed to be stable.
If it only ever crashes in NMS and this isn't the only game you play then it is probably more likely something to do with NMS than the PC itself. I would start by reinstalling it.
One thing to watch out for. Many steam players downloaded the Beta version (beta code 3xperimental) in order to try the Vulkan API. If you didn't clear that when the latest version dropped (which now supports it natively) you may still be using a Beta version of the game - which aren't guaranteed to be stable.
I missed this in the whole ask the missus joke.
This level of crashing isn't normal. If you're playing on a laptop, consider opening it up and cleaning the hot air exhaust. I had a case where friend's laptop was behaving like that and the cause was a 2cm thick dust clot totally blocking the hot air exhaust.
How old is your Windows install? If it's old, consider reinstalling. If it isn't, well, it might be your hardware failing. No real way to tell, maybe NMS stresses it above the point of failure.