Asp Explorer
Asp Explorer
The first Asp's were miltary vessels, the most common of which was the Mk II. Fitted with self destruct mechanisms if they fell into the wrong hands, the Mk II was rarely seen in pirate hands.
Years later, a public version, known as the Explorer was released. It was large and fast, enabling the vessel to keep up in dogfights with smaller, nimbler craft, while it was big enough to hold several shield generators and large weapons. On the downside, there was only a single missile pylon and the retro thrusters were inadequately sized. Additionally, the Asp Explorer required a second crew member, which, more often that not, turned out to be a disadvantage.
When equipped with a Class 3 military drive, the Asp was ideal for courier/passenger runs and most assassination contracts. Only being able to fit a single missile could be a disadvantage to the more adventurous combateer, particularly if they were to do a lot of classified recon or bombing missions, as they would need to keep a pylon free for a nuclear missile.\
Statistics
Hull Mass: 30t
Mass (Fully Laden): 150t
Internal Capacity (No Drive): 120t
Retro Thruster Acceleration: 7 Earth G
Main Thruster Acceleration: 22 Earth G
Crew: 2
Gun Mountings: 2
Fuel Scoop: YES
Missile Pylons: 1
Hyperspace Ranges: Class 2: 8.00 Class 3: 18.00 Class 4: 32.00
Standard Drive: Class 3
Internal Capacity (With Class 3 Drive): 75t
Designer: GalCop Workshops
Manufacturer: Core Industrial Corporation
Inservice Date: 2878
Allegiance: Independent, Federation