Many ships that are not designed as exploration vessels are converted into scouting ships. The Anders-class is among the most successful and enduring of such conversions, the first conversion having been done in 2023 for the first Alpha Centauri Scouting Mission. Originally designed and built as a yacht, it is a top-of-the-line personal transport, featuring dual engines and a forward-swept along with a lifting body fuselage, which provides exemplary speed and handling for a civilian leisure craft. The Anders-class's wings fold approximately halfway along their span, allowing it to land at smaller pads.

The logical evolution of the standard scout, the Byrd-class is another conversion of a luxury yacht to a scouting vessel. In addition the armament of the standard scout, it mounts a light railgun that the pilot can use. Only a few Byrd-class scouts have been created so far, but the ease with which they can be converted means that it is logical there will be more conversions done in the future, unless the Shackleton-class proves to be more effective.

The Shackleton-class was designed in response to the need for a scout ship that could spend as much time in the field as the Byrd class, but was stronger and more likely to survive encounters with unforeseen circumstances. Unlike the previous Anders and Byrd classes, the Shackleton class was not a redesign of a private yacht (thought unlike the Anders and Byrd classes it is actually amphibious and therefore essentially an actual naval yacht), and is instead a new design, built from the ground up.