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 very 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.
Overview
The Asp Explorer's 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.
The pilot's station is located along the centerline of the ship on the top flight deck. An Auxiliary station is located along the centerline of the ship on the bottom flight deck which is directly underneath the top flight deck.
While the Asp Explorer packs a decent amount of firepower, it lacks optimal heat dissipation, noticeably suffering in combat situations when equipped with thermal weaponry. This also can present difficulties during fuel scooping, especially when using a small Fuel Scoop.
The Asp Explorer has an available 12 piece cosmetic ship kit that can be purchased from the Frontier store which allows you to "remodel your ship in your personal style". The ship kit does not affect gameplay.
The Asp Explorer can be purchased at a 20% discount at Irkutsk station in the Alliance capital system of Alioth.[1] It can also be purchased from some stations in Li Yong-Rui controlled systems at a 15% discount.
Purchase Locations
| System | Station | Date Seen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lese | Morgan Port | Feb 12, 2017 | |
| Qama | Thurston Ring | Feb 12, 2018 | 15% discount |
| Malloc | Julian Gateway | Jul 28, 2017 | |
| Woda | Cooper Vision | Jan 9, 2017 | |
| HIP 6978 | Plucker Dock | Aug 13, 2016 | 15% discount |
| LHS 215 | Spring Gateway | Oct 7, 2015 | |
| 10 Canum Venaticorum | HE Port | 25 May 2015 | |
| 41 Gamma Serpentis | Kidman Settlement | Feb 18, 2015 | |
| 44 B Ophiuchi | Feustel Gateway | July 15, 2015 | |
| AZ Cancri | Fisher Station | April 23, 2017 | |
| Abrog | Thagard Ring | Feb 07, 2015 | |
| Aasgananu | Houssay Ring | Jun 24, 2015 | 15% discount |
| Aiabiko | White Orbital | Mar 13, 2015 | |
| Alioth | Irkutsk | Jan 03, 2016 | 20% discount |
| Altair | Solo Orbiter | Aug 13, 2016 | |
| Amenta | Bauschinger City | Dec 23, 2015 | |
| Andhrimi | Yurchikhin | Feb 28, 2015 | |
| Angurongo | Dahm Port | May 28, 2015 | |
| Aphra | Beckman Terminal | Feb 06, 2015 | |
| AO | ? | Aug 20, 2016 | |
| Arawere | Korolyov Hub | Oct 4, 2015 | |
| Asgaa | Wheeler Horizons | Apr 20, 2015 | |
| Atlantis | - No Longer On Sale Here | Jan 03, 2015 | |
| Ba Babal | Caryanda Orbital | Jan 8, 2015 | |
| BD-22 3573 | Khayyam Orbital | Apr 11, 2015 | |
| Belarsuk | Kurland Hub | Mar 29, 2015 | |
| Beta-1 Tucanae | Adams Orbital | Jan 03, 2015 | |
| Beta Hydri | ??? | Jan 06, 2015 | |
| Bidio | - Not for sale here anymore | Nov 2, 2015 | 15% discount |
| Black Mausoleum | Silves Dock | Jan 06, 2015 | |
| Bragpurukab | Zalyotin Hub | Mar 22, 2015 | |
| Brani | Virtanen Hub | July 15, 2015 | |
| Bulgarlmadi | Eggleton Terminal | September 21, 2015 | |
| Bunda | Faraday Ring | Dec 31, 2014 | |
| Candecama | Horrocs Gateway | Jul 30, 2015 | |
| Cauani | Hardy City | Jan 2, 2015 | |
| CD-72 190 | Phillips Terminal | Oct 5, 2015 | |
| Cerktondhs | Bluford Gateway | Jan 7, 2016 | |
| CF 464 | Bartini Enterprise | Nov 14, 2015 | |
| Chapsugaibo | Schlesinger City | Gamma 1.05 | |
| Chona | Smoot Station | Aug 17, 2015 | |
| Croatigae | Carrington Hub | Dec 23, 2015 | |
| Diaguandri | Ray Gateway | Jan 24, 2016 | 15% discount |
| EZ Aquarii | Magnus Gateway | Nov 30, 2014 | |
| Faust 68 | Slipher Hub | Oct 20, 2015 | |
| FK5 2550 | Vela Ring | Gamma ? | |
| FK5 2550 | Wundt Gateway | Gamma 1.05 | |
| Frigga | Henson Ring | Feb 07, 2015 | |
| Gallemi | Rabinowitz Vision | Feb 14, 2015 | |
| GD 219 | McKee Ring | Feb 23, 2015 | |
| Gliese 563.1 | Matteucci Ring | Jul 23, 2015 | |
| Gliese 868 | Bacon Port | June 16, 2015 | |
| Guy | Mondeh Terminal | 16th Jan, 2015 | |
| Heike | Brunel City | Gamma 2.03 | |
| HIP 5700 | Bracewell Port | Oct 12, 2015 | |
| Herthans | Henry Vision | ||
| Ho Hsien | Dutton Station | Jan 2, 2015 | |
| Inarajajara | Laval Terminal | Sept 9, 2014 | |
| Jera | Moore Dock | Feb 15, 2015 | |
| Jonai | Privylov Port | May 26, 2015 | |
| Kamorin | Godwin Vision | ? 1.03 | |
| Khampti | Wafa Hub | May 25, 2015 | |
| Ki Laufey | Fiennes Orbital | July 20, 2015 | |
| Kokojina | Ali Ring | Feb 12, 2015 | |
| Koira | Ahern Installation | July 20, 2015 | |
| Kugay | Shepherd Dock | ? 1.03 | |
| Kumata | Vishweswarayya Enterprise | Jan 1, 2015 | N/A 9/16/16 |
| Kurmodiae | Virchow Dock | Jul 23, 2015 | |
| Lembava | Goldstein Port | Dec 1, 2016 | 15% discount |
| LFT 926 | Meredith City | Dec 31, 2014 | |
| LFT 1300 | Virchow Dock | Mar 20, 2015 | |
| LHS 2764A | Low Orbital | Gamma 2.0 | |
| LHS 331 | Dyr Enterprise | Dec 16, 2015 | |
| LHS 371 | Pawelczyk Orbital | Jan 21, 2016 | |
| LHS 3447 | Dalton Gateway | March 4 2016 | |
| LHS 3505 | Olivas City | Apr 16, 2015 | |
| LHS 3564 | Froude Enterprise | 24/05/15 | |
| LP 355-65 | Barba Ring | Jan 7, 2016 | 15% discount |
| LP 908-11 | So-Yeon City | Dec 29, 2014 | |
| LTT 377 | Zoline Port | Jan 03, 2015 | |
| LTT 7548 | Boltzmann Station | Oct 8, 2015 | |
| Lwen | Oliver Enterprise | Jan 2, 2015 | |
| Malarhones | Kurtz Dock | Mar 29, 2015 | |
| Maljenni | Bowsersox Enterprise | Dec 31, 2014 | |
| Mehet | Schwann Dock | ||
| Mizar | Judson Station | May 27, 2015 | |
| Okinura | Bennett Gateway | Feb 16, 2016 | |
| Phiagre | The Victoria Chapell Foundation | Dec 24, 2015 | |
| Rhea | Ito Orbital | Jul 21, 2015 | |
| Saktsak | Bursch Enterprise | ||
| Sanuma | Dunyach Orbital | Jan 10, 2015 | |
| Siddha | Meuron Station | Apr 16, 2015 | |
| Tiolce | Gordom Terminal | Apr 13, 2015 | |
| Turir | Brooks Terminal | ||
| Una | Hoard Orbital | Feb 19, 2015 | |
| Uoluskas | Moisuc Dock | Gamma 1.05 | |
| V1688 Aquilae | Littlewood Terminal | Jan 11, 2015 | |
| Wolf 867 | Dana terminal | Jan 15, 2016 | |
| Wolf 906 | Herbert Dock | Jan 3, 2016 | |
| Xihe | Zhen Dock | May 10, 2017 | |
| Yawa | Dean Hub | May 7, 2017 | |
| Yembo | Naddoddur Terminal | Apr 12, 2015 | |
| Zaonce | Ridley Scott | Jan 3, 2015 | |
| Zaragas | Jenner Hub | Jan 9, 2015 | |
| Pangilagara | Tange Vision | Nov 29, 2015 | |
| Bolg | Maxon's Mojo | Jan 30, 2016 | Not @ Sep 2 2017 |
| GD 140 | Liwei Terminal | Jan 31, 2016 | |
| Njikan | Smeaton Port | Feb 13, 2016 | |
| Vetr | Aristotle Horizons | May 31, 2016 | |
| Njokujinun | Nyberg Vision | 18/11/2016 | 15% discount |
| Shinrarta Dezhra | Jameson Memorial | January 26, 2018 | 10% Discount, Founders Permit Needed |
Outfitting
- Main article: Outfitting
All ships are highly customisable 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
- PAS = Planetary Approach Suite
Trivia
- First revealed in Newsletter #6.[2]
- Released with Beta 2.0 on 9/30/14.
- Starting Cargo capacity has been lowered from 70 in Beta to 38 in Gamma.
Videos
Gallery
_11_5_2015_6_31_34_PM.png "Elite - Dangerous (CLIENT) 11 5 2015 6 31 34 PM.png (2.51 MB)")
_2_14_2016_12_46_29_PM.png "Elite - Dangerous (CLIENT) 2 14 2016 12 46 29 PM.png (3.23 MB)")
References
| Playable |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| NPC-only |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lore & Concepts |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| Ships marked with H can only be purchased and operated by players who pre-ordered Horizons. | |||||||||||||||||||||