QuillmonkeyAccording to my investigation, the most agile+thermally efficient ship to use for exploration is the dolphin, closely followed by Asp Scout.
Can confirm on both counts for the Dolphin. You can be scooping and charging your next FSD jump happily while your heatsinks collect dust. The agility it has is almost twitchy, even in supercruise.
Asp Scout flies well enough but it has been panned as a ship choice for a reason.
Scout is a medium ship compared to the Dolphin's small footprint.
And considering the ASPS is a medium, why are its optional slots so bad? Almost every option on the Dolphin beats it.