Not reading through the thread to see how many paths I'm about to retread, but while I am perfectly happy with not having to grind for probes, I can't say that I am on board with the idea that the probes are perishables that impacts the body, and somehow maps an enormous area from this point of impact, to begin with. I'd find it much reasonable that you'd have
one, or just a handful probe(s), which you put into orbit (and which scans from orbit), and recover afterwards (a favourable trajectory (player skill) would let you cover more area in a single shot - a severe fumble might leave it self-destructing, to prevent crashing into the ground...
What we have been presented with puts me in mind of... *googles*… this:
Then again, I've got similar views on the matter of things like insta-printable-from-zero-amounts-of-material ship-launched fighters, that are remote controlled, yet have full cockpits, etc, etc.
(Was also expecting mapping a system to be a matter of moving around, to build up a tomographic view of gravity wells, beginning with radial lines from one's entry point, but refining as samples are taken from more spots... :7)