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.[1]
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.
Asp View
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 Top Coriolis Hangar
Asp Explorer - Red Pharao Top Aft View on Outpost
