Editing Making ISK as an Explorer (section)

==Null-sec space==
With the right choice of region, null-sec can yield the best returns on exploration in the game.
[[File:Sample null-sec loot.png|thumb|Loot from three null-sec sites: two Sansha relic sites and one Covert Research Facilities site.  Credit: ILL WIND, Signal-Cartel]]
The main income generator are the vanilla '''pirate relic sites'''.    

Different regions have different resident pirate factions.  The loot table for relic sites greatly depends on which pirate faction "owns" the site.  So the choice of region has a big impact on the value of relic sites. For example: Stain is claimed by the Sansha faction.  For Sansha relic sites, Intact Armor Plates are the high-value item dropped and at 7M ISK each, these make such regions the most lucrative for explorers in EVE Online.  Of course, this leads to a busy ecosystem of explorers farming relic sites and hunters then trying to catch the explorers...

See Table 1 for a list of the key drops for different pirate factions and their market value at the time of writing.  Also examine [https://forums.eve-scout.com/topic/3849/shado-s-exploration-profitability-analysis Shado Step's intensive study] for further insights.  Their work confirmed the high value of Sansha space, with Guristas the next more valuable for explorers.

'''Data sites''' are less lucrative, especially since they lack the Composite Molecular Condenser drops of high- and low-sec.  However, they are worth checking for occasional valuable drops (example: Sleeper Profound Research Notes, with an 80M ISK Jita buy value).

Other exploration sites include
* Covert Research Facilities (also known as "ghost" sites) have medium-level "yellow 70" hack. As compared to low-sec space, items included in the cans [https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Ghost_Sites#Getting_Loot seem to be of roughly equivalent value, but there is a wider variety] and possibly a better probability of dropping these.
* Sleeper Caches can be found in null-sec space, with similar loot drops to those in high- and low-sec.
* Drone regions such as Etherium Reach and Perrigen Falls do ''not'' have pirate relic or pirate data sites.  Instead, they do have Research Complex data sites with a mix of drone parts and blueprint copies (BPCs).  The blueprint copies are for 'Integrated' and 'Augmented' drones, with values for the latter BPC types running up to roughly 20M ISK. Note that a few, relatively weak frigate drones spawn in after an unsuccessful hack.

A final excellent opportunity that only presents itself in null-sec is that of '''Electrical Storms'''.  There are [https://evescoutrescue.com/home/stormtrack.php two of these slowly roving weather phenomena] where the spawn rate of relic sites is greatly enhanced and cloaking is disabled.  See Arachnis's [https://forums.eve-scout.com/topic/10655/storm-chasing-primer-let-the-isk-flow excellent guide] to these for an in-depth explainer.