Exploration Rank Progression

Ascending through the Exploration ranks in Elite Dangerous is a rewarding journey that is intrinsically tied to the act of discovery and data acquisition. Your rank is earned by scanning celestial bodies – from stars and planets to asteroid belts and stellar phenomena – and then selling this valuable cartographic data to Universal Cartographics. To maximize your earnings and rank progression, it is essential to equip your ship with a Discovery Scanner (ADS) for initial system-wide scans and a Detailed Surface Scanner (DSS) for in-depth planetary surveys. The ADS reveals all celestial bodies within a system, while the DSS allows you to pinpoint and scan specific points of interest on planetary surfaces, often yielding higher data values.

Venture into uncharted systems, far from the established bubble of human civilization, to find the most lucrative discoveries. The further you travel from populated space, the more valuable your data becomes. Every star, gas giant, terrestrial planet, moon, and even asteroid fields can be scanned for data. For planets, using the DSS to find geological and biological sals can sificantly boost your earnings. Once you have amassed a substantial amount of exploration data, return to any Universal Cartographics contact within a populated system to sell your findings. The accumulation of this data directly contributes to your Exploration rank, progressing you through ranks such as Aimless, Mostly Aimless, Scout, Surveyor, Ranger, Pathfinder, Exlorer, Pioneer, Elite, and beyond. Each rank unlocks new cosmetic rewards and sifies your growing expertise as a galactic cartographer.