Asp Explorer

The Asp Explorer is the civilian version of the military model Asp MkII (which first saw service in 2878). Lakon Spaceways now owns the licence to construct these ships and has marketed them heavily at customers looking for their first multi-crewed ships. The ship class has earned a solid reputation for long range missions and those requiring some discretion.

— In-Game Description

The Asp Explorer has a high jump range relative to other ships in the game and thus is quite good for use as an exploration ship. It has six weapon hardpoints and has a good turning radius for its size which makes the Asp good for more than just exploration. The Asp can act as a heavy-duty bounty hunting vessel due to its superb weapon capacity and good manoeuvrability for its size. Pirates can also use the Asp to great effect because of the ample cargo capacity, heavy armament, long jump range and large mass (allowing it to charge its own Frame Shift Drive with minimal mass disruption while also mass disrupting the frame shift drive of most ships). The Asp Explorer also features a copilot seat located directly under the player's seat, visible while outfitting the ship.

The main downside of this ship is the high initial purchase cost and high maintenance costs. Many roles that the Asp fills can be fulfilled with cheaper ships, though the Asp's performance is typically better than that of the less expensive option. An example would be pirating which can be done in a Cobra MkIII whose purchase cost is 6.3 million credits less, while still having a moderate cargo capacity and comparable weapon armament. Another example would be trading which can be done in a Type-6 Transporter that has nearly the same cargo capacity, and costs 5.6 million credits less. A further example would be bounty hunting which can be done better in a Vulture which is more manoeuvrable and has higher firepower, while costing 1.7 million credits less.

The Asp Explorer can be purchased at a 20% discount at Irkutsk station in the Alliance capital system of Alioth.

The weapon hardpoints are located as follows: On each side of the cockpit, 1 medium hardpoint above the waterline and 1 small hardpoint below the waterline (total 2 medium, 2 small), and 2 small hardpoints located directly beneath the cockpit. Due to the shape of the ship and the hardpoint locations, the medium hardpoints and small hardpoints share a small field of fire (i.e mostly directly ahead). Pilots should be aware that Turrets in both Medium Hardpoints will have firing arcs above the cockpit where the pilot can generally see the target that the turrets are shooting at. However, turrets in all four Small Hardpoints will have firing arcs below the cockpit, where the target will tend to be obscured from the pilot's vision by the flight console and the floor.

Purchase Locations

System		Station	Date Seen	Discount	Sector
Itza		Ellison Station	Dec 17, 2015	15%
LHS 215		Spring Gateway	Oct 7, 2015		-20:13:-10
10 Canum Venaticorum		HE Port	25 May 2015		0:55:0
41 Gamma Serpentis		Kidman Settlement	Feb 18, 2015		-10:26:30
44 B Ophiuchi		Feustel Gateway	July 15, 2015		0:8:90
Abrog		Thagard Ring	Feb 07, 2015		-120:-43:10
Aasgananu		Houssay Ring	Jun 24, 2015	15%	-30:-63:-70
Aiabiko		White Orbital	Mar 13, 2015		-80:1:-10
Alioth		Irkutsk	1.06	20%	-30:72:-20
Altair		Solo Orbiter	Jan 05, 2015		-10:-3:20
Amenta		Bauschinger City	Dec 23, 2015
Andhrimi		Yurchikhin	Feb 28, 2015		20:-55:20
Angurongo		Dahm Port	May 28, 2015		80:-160:40
Aphra		Beckman Terminal	Feb 06, 2015		-60:-5:70
Arawere		Korolyov Hub	Oct 4, 2015		-40:-102:30
Asgaa		Wheeler Horizons	Apr 20, 2015		-10:10:90
Atlantis		Kimura	Jan 03, 2015		70:-118:50
Ba Babal		Caryanda Orbital	Jan 8, 2015		30:114:120
BD-22 3573		Khayyam Orbital	Apr 11, 2015		70:75:70
Belarsuk		Kurland Hub	Mar 29, 2015		50:-21:40
Beta-1 Tucanae		Adams Orbital	Jan 03, 2015		70:-110:50
Beta Hydri		Komovoy	Jan 06, 2015		20:-16:20
Bidio		Noguchi Horizons	Nov 2, 2015	15%
Black Mausoleum		Silves Dock	Jan 06, 2015		???
Bragpurukab		Zalyotin Hub	Mar 22, 2015		20:-23:100
Brani		Virtanen Hub	July 15, 2015		60:-12:60
Bulgarlmadi		Eggleton Terminal	September 21, 2015		140:-109:50
Bunda		Faraday Ring	Dec 31, 2014		70:17:30
Candecama		Horrocs Gateway	Jul 30, 2015		60:-100:90
Cauani		Hardy City	Jan 2, 2015		-60:18:80
CD-72 190		Phillips Terminal	Oct 5, 2015		120:-114:50
CF 464		Bartini Enterprise	Nov 14, 2015
Chapsugaibo		Schlesinger City	Gamma 1.05		50:-81:20
Chona		Smoot Station	Aug 17, 2015		110:-112:70
Diaguandri		Ray Gateway	Aug 22, 2015	15%	0:-63:-100
EZ Aquarii		???	Nov 30, 2014		0:-10:10
Faust 68		Slipher Hub	Oct 20, 2015
FK5 2550		Vela Ring	Gamma ?		20:22:70
FK5 2550		Wundt Gateway	Gamma 1.05		20:22:70
Frigga		Henson Ring	Feb 07, 2015		130:-25:40
Gallemi		Rabinowitz Vision	Feb 14, 2015		70:-263:0
GD 219		McKee Ring	Feb 23, 2015		-40:0:50
Gliese 563.1		Matteucci Ring	Jul 23, 2015		-30:70:20
Gliese 868		Bacon Port	June 16, 2015		0:-39:20
Guy		Mondeh Terminal	16th Jan, 2015		30:14:10
Heike		Brunel City	Gamma 2.03		-70:71:70
HIP 5700		Bracewell Port	Oct 12, 2015
Herthans		Henry Vision			50:-122:50
Ho Hsien		Dutton Station	Jan 2, 2015		-70:21:40
Inarajajara		Laval Terminal	Sept 9, 2014		-80:-94:-30
Jera		Moore Dock	Feb 15, 2015		40:-84:50
Jonai		Privylov Port	May 26, 2015		-90:18:90
Kamorin		Godwin Vision	? 1.03		-120:-82:50
Khampti		Wafa Hub	May 25, 2015		60:-148:50
Ki Laufey		Fiennes Orbital	July 20, 2015		170:-15:0
Kokojina		Ali Ring	Feb 12, 2015		0:-7:60
Koira		Ahern Installation	July 20, 2015		140:17:60
Kugay		Shepherd Dock	? 1.03		40:-95:-70
Kumata		Vishweswarayya Enterprise	Jan 1, 2015		-150:67:-30
Kurmodiae		Virchow Dock	Jul 23, 2015		-30:23:80
LFT 926		Meredith City	Dec 31, 2014		60:17:40
LFT 1300		Virchow Dock	Mar 20, 2015		40:-17:40
LHS 2764A		Low Orbital	Gamma 2.0		0:54:10
LHS 331		Dyr Enterprise	Dec 16, 2015		20:63:-20
LHS 3447		Dalton Gateway	Jan 19, 2015		-40:-6:60
LHS 3505		Olivas City	Apr 16, 2015		-30:-13:40
LHS 3564		Froude Enterprise	24/05/15		-60:-33:60
LP 355-65		Barba Ring	November 11, 2015	15%
LP 908-11		So-Yeon City	Dec 29, 2014		50:25:20
LTT 377		Zoline Port	Jan 03, 2015		10:-64:10
LTT 7548		Boltzmann Station	Oct 8, 2015		-30:-13:80
Lwen		Oliver Enterprise	Jan 2, 2015		-50:-29:90
Malarhones		Kurtz Dock	Mar 29, 2015		90:-79:40
Maljenni		Bowsersox Enterprise	Dec 31, 2014		70:38:20
Mizar		Judson Station	May 27, 2015		-30:72:-10
Rhea		Ito Orbital	Jul 21, 2015		60:22:-20
Saktsak		Bursch Enterprise			10:16:-10
Sanuma		Dunyach Orbital	Jan 10, 2015		160:61:80
Seleru Bao		Leinster Ring	Sep 21, 2015	15%	-10:-63:-60
Siddha		Meuron Station	Apr 16, 2015		30:-109:0
Tiolce		Gordom Terminal	Apr 13, 2015		20:-35:30
Tote		Whitelaw Enterprise	July 26, 2015		-20:-16:-90
Turir		Brooks Terminal			30:-76:60
Una		Hoard Orbital	Feb 19, 2015		-10:41:100
Uoluskas		Moisuc Dock	Gamma 1.05		30:15:-90
V1688 Aquilae		Littlewood Terminal	Jan 11, 2015		-60:-1:60
Wolf 867		Dana terminal	June 24, 2015		-40:-5:30
Xihe		Zhen Dock	Aug 16, 2015		-10:-36:40
Yembo		Naddoddur Terminal	Apr 12, 2015		-90:11:50
Zaonce		Ridley Scott	Jan 3, 2015		90:48:70
Zaragas		Jenner Hub	Jan 9, 2015		-30:-7:90
Pangilagara		Tange Vision	Nov 29, 2015

Outfitting

Main article: Outfitting

All ships are highly customizable through the Outfitting menu of Station Services. Listed below is the default load-out for the Asp Explorer.

Category	Default System	Default Rating	Default Class	Max Class
Small Hardpoint	Pulse Laser (L)	F	1	1
	Pulse Laser (L)	F	1	1
	Empty	--	--	1
	Empty	--	--	1
Medium Hardpoint	Empty	--	--	2
	Empty	--	--	2
Utility Mount	Empty	--	--	0
	Empty	--	--	0
	Empty	--	--	0
	Empty	--	--	0
Bulkheads	Lightweight Alloys	I	1	8
Reactor Bay	Power Plant	E	5	5
Thrusters Mounting	Thrusters	E	5	5
Frame Shift Drive Housing	Frame Shift Drive	E	5	5
Environment Control	Life Support	E	4	4
Power Coupling	Power Distributor	E	4	4
Sensor Suite	Sensors	E	5	5
Fuel Store	Fuel Tank [x32]	C	5	5
Internal Compartments	Cargo Rack [x32]	E	5	6
	Shield Generator	E	5	5
	Cargo Rack [x4]	E	2	3
	Empty	--	--	3
	Empty	--	--	3
	Cargo Rack [x2]	E	1	2
	BDS	E	1	2

• (L) = Loaned
• [x#] = Capacity
• BDS = Basic Discovery Scanner

Trivia

• First revealed in Newsletter #6.
• Released with Beta 2.0 on 9/30/14.
• Starting Cargo capacity has been lowered from 70 in Beta to 38 in Gamma.

Gallery

• Asp Drawings
  Asp Drawings
• Asp Shipyard
  Asp Shipyard
• Asp Stock
  Asp Stock
• 
  Asp View
• 
• Check out that ASP
  Check out that ASP
• 
  Asp Explorer - Red Pharao Aft Bottom View
• 
  Asp Explorer - Red Pharao Aft Top Hangar View
• 
  Asp Explorer - Red Pharao Front Bottom Coriolis Hangar
• Asp Explorer - Red Pharao Front View on Outpost
  Asp Explorer - Red Pharao Front View on Outpost
• 
  Asp Explorer - Red Pharao Front Top Coriolis Hangar
• 
  Asp Explorer - Red Pharao Top Aft View on Outpost
• Asp Explorer - Red Pharao Supercruise Aft View
  Asp Explorer - Red Pharao Supercruise Aft View

References

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