Exploration is one of the many activities players can spend their time doing in Elite Dangerous. The game’s galaxy is huge with lots of sights to see and places to visit. As a result, many players simply enjoy traipsing around the universe seeing what they can find in this simulation game.
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The nature of this activity requires players to be in a ship capable of handling long-distance travel, carrying everything they need for the trip, and help them survive the journey. For players looking to get into travel or need to upgrade to something a little better, here are the best exploration ships according to the fanbase.
Updated March 2, 2021 by Ben Baker: Simply knowing which ships are bests for exploration isn’t enough. It’s also important to know where to get them and how much they’re going to cost. Ships go up for sale at various stations all the time at random, but by and large, players will need to go to specific stations that will always have these ships.
These ships range from very affordable for beginning explorers to incredibly expensive luxuries. The question is, do players want to ride in style or be feared by the galaxy?
10 Imperial Clipper
The Imperial Clipper is both a popular and notorious ship. Many pilots like the excellent speed and maneuverability that comes with flying this piece of art. It can handle long-range jumps and does well at getting players from point A to point B quickly. The downsides are little things like a bright cockpit interface, a wide build that can make manual docking annoying, and terrible combat potential. It’s cheap and it’ll do the job which is why it makes the list, but players should strongly consider upgrading quickly.
The Imperial Clipper is always available at the Jameson Memorial station in Shinrarta Dezhra with a 10% discount. It can also be obtained at the i Sola Prospect in Brestla with a 20% surcharge. Its base cost is 22,295,860 Credits.
9 Beluga Liner
What makes the Beluga Liner appealing as an exploration ship is the fact that it has enough space to bring whatever the player wants to take with them. It’s a bit slow, but it does handle decently enough ,and few can argue with a 40 to 50LY jump range. Some players like the fact that it can also equip a Fighter Hangar. While it’s not an ideal combat ship, it can hold its own long enough to get to safety. What many players like about the Beluga is its big, unobstructed view in the cockpit.
The Beluga Liner can be found at Jameson Memorial with a 10% discount. It can also be bought at i Sola Prospect with a 20% surcharge. Its base cost is 84,532,780 Credits.
8 Federal Assault Ship
The Federal Assault Ship is one of the more unique options on this list because it’s not designed for exploration. It doesn’t have the same internal space to carry everything and the low-end jump range is 30LY. The perk of this vessel as an exploration ship is it can handle any trouble it comes across. This makes it an ideal ship for exploring near the bubble where players in this MMORPG are likely to be waiting in an ambush. If the player needs to go long-range it is not a great ship, but for high risk, short-range travel it’s great.
The Federal Assault Ship can be purchased at the Jameson Memorial with the standard 10% discount. It is also always located at the i Sola Prospect with a 20% surcharge. The base cost is a relatively cheap 19,814,210 Credits.
7 Krait Mk II
The Krait MK II is a multipurpose ship that makes it very customizable for its pilot’s needs. It’s a balanced exploration ship that can also do a bit of trading, mining, and combat while exploring. It has convenient hardpoints, and with a Fighter Hangar, it ensures it has teeth while roaming.
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This is a good option for players on limited funds who like to do a variety of things and cannot afford to have a specialized ship for each activity. Considering it was designed to do smuggling and short-range high-risk trading, it makes sense it can handle sketchy exploration.
The Krait Mk II has appeared at a number of different stations for purchase. The guaranteed spots are Jameson Memorial with a 10% discount and the i Sola Prospect with a 20% surcharge. The price tag on this ship is 45,814,205 Credits.
6 Krait Phantom
The Krait Phantom is basically a faster and leaner version of the Krait Mk II. It sacrifices some durability in exchange for speed and maneuverability. With the right set up it also has phenomenal long jump ranges. The original intent of this ship was to chase down pirates or wanted targets, so it has the speed and firepower to get a drop on opponents. The only reason it doesn’t rank higher is that it’s not designed to survive an ambush, which happens a lot in this MMORPG.
The Krait Phantom isn’t very common outside the usual stations. It’s always found at Jameson Memorial with a 10% discount on price or i Sola Prospect with a 20% surcharge. Purchasing one will typically set the player back 37,472,254 Credits.
5 Orca
The Orca is a stylish passenger liner that can be outfitted however the player wants. It has good handling for its size, great speed, and good acceleration. Its underbelly hardpoints and mediocre shields and armor make it a poor choice in combat, however. What really makes the Orca appealing is the 36LY jump range and the fact it costs less than 50 million credits. For long-range jumping to deliver VIPs, it’s a great ship that looks sleek, but there are better options for traveling space.
The Orca was relatively easy to find in March 2019, but it doesn’t appear outside of the usual two stations these days. Players can pick one up with a 10% discount at Jameson Memorial or pay a 20% surcharge to get on at i Sola Prospect. Its base cost is 48,539,887 Credits.
4 Python
The Python is not meant to be an explorer ship, but it does a fantastic job when outfitted for it. It has great long jump range and even when fully equipped has the space for weapons and shields. In fact, the Python is scrappy enough to handle many combat situations. Players wanting to use exploration as a means to hunt down targets would be well advised to give this ship a try. Power management will be an issue and the cockpit layout is a bit strange, but it’s a good choice.
The Python appears in various stations now and then but consistently in two places. Jameson Memorial has one with a 10% discount and i Sola Prospect will offer one with a 20% surcharge. It’ll cost players 56,978,180 Credits to buy.
3 Diamondback Explorer
The nice thing about the Diamondback Explorer is that it’s small so finding a landing pad is never an issue. It has excellent long jump range and can go really fast when outfitted properly making it great for exploring the massive world. It’s good at dodging combat but bad at engaging in combat and mining is utterly out of the question.
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The main advantage of the Diamondback Explorer is that it’s cheap and available as soon as players log into the game. Many players have logged an incredible number of hours flying this ship around the galaxy and aren’t in a hurry to upgrade.
The Diamondback Explorer hasn’t really been seen in many stations lately. The usual spots are the Jameson Memorial at 10% off or at i Sola Prospect with a 20% added cost. It’s easily the cheapest on this list though at 1,894,760 Credits.
2 Asp Explorer
The Asp Explorer was built with exploration in mind. It has perhaps one of the best long-range jump capabilities available and is more than capable of equipping essential modules. For many players, this is the best ship for exploring space as it has the best unobstructed canopy in the game. The only reason it doesn’t rank number one is that exploration is the only thing it can reliably do. It can go toe-to-toe with lighter craft in combat and can trade to some extent, but it was meant to zip around the galaxy without getting into trouble.
The Asp Explorer was everywhere in late 2020, but now players will need to go to two stations to pick one up. Jameson Memorial has them with a 10% discount or i Sola Prospect will sell them with a 20% surcharge. It’s a very affordable exploration ship, costing 6,661,153 Credits.
1 Anaconda
Hands down, the best ship in the game for exploring is the Anaconda. This beast can perform massive 80+ LY jumps and has more than enough space to equip anything the player could ever possibly want or need. It is rather large and somewhat cumbersome to maneuver at times, however. There’s also the fact that the Anaconda comes with a steep price tag of almost 147 million credits, but this is an exploration ship that can be designed for any possible purpose whatsoever. The player can reasonably mine, fight, and trade while exploring. Even for passive explorers, it will scare off other players and can handle most threats the galaxy throws at them.
The Anaconda will appear in various stations now and then, though it was much more common in 2019. There is always one at Jameson Memorial for 10% off or a more expensive one at i Sola Prospect with a 20% additional cost. It’s by far the most expensive ship on the list with a whopping price tag of 146,969,450 Credits.
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