Map what pays
Prioritise Earth-likes, water worlds, and terraform candidates — they carry the biggest cartographic bonuses.
Guides // Ranks
Pilot Ranks
Combat, Trade, Exploration, and Exobiology — the four Pilots Federation ladders, and the Elite that opens Founders World.
What Pilot Ranks Are
OverviewThe Pilots Federation (Pilots Federation: The organization that oversees and represents the galaxy's independent pilots.) tracks four independent ladders — Combat, Trade, Exploration, and Exobiology. Each climbs nine named rungs to Elite; above Elite sit Elite I to V, pure prestige. You do not pick one — every ladder rises on its own as you do that work.
Each ladder climbs the same nine rungs to Elite, but on different work. Pick one to see its rungs, what each demands, and the ships that suit it.
Exploration Ranks
Exploration rank climbs on cartographic data sold at Universal Cartographics — honk (Discovery Scanner Honk: Holding the Discovery Scanner on arrival. Reveals how many bodies a system holds and where they sit.) the system, map the bodies, and cash the data in when you get home.
Each rung is a cumulative credit total of data value. Detailed surface scans of high-value bodies pay far more than a bare discovery scan.
| Rank | Requirement | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Aimless | 0 Cr. | — |
| Mostly Aimless | 40,000 Cr. | — |
| Scout | 270,000 Cr. | Felicity Farseer |
| Surveyor | 1,140,000 Cr. | Ram Tah, Marsha Hicks |
| Trailblazer | 4,200,000 Cr. | — |
| Pathfinder | 10,000,000 Cr. | — |
| Ranger | 35,000,000 Cr. | — |
| Pioneer | 116,000,000 Cr. | — |
| Elite | 320,000,000 Cr. | Shinrarta Dezhra permit |
Important Tips
Be the first
First discovery and first mapping each pay a bonus on top of the scan, and your name stays on the System Map as the commander who found it.
Recommended Exploration Ships
| Ship | Class | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamondback Explorer | Small | 1.6M CR | A compact and affordable exploration ship with excellent jump range. One of the best ways to start exploring beyond the Bubble. |
| Mandalay | Medium | 16.5M CR | The current exploration benchmark. Exceptional jump range, SCO performance, heat management, and cockpit visibility make it one of the best all-round exploration ships available. |
| Caspian Explorer | Large | 189.3M CR | The ultimate exobiology ship. Its can accommodate the Vessel Hangar for Nomad vehicle, letting you roam planet surfaces and scan biological signatures. |