Still, Fuel Rats are awesome. Don't self-destruct, unless absolutely necessary... If you Google you will find that the Fuel Rats have rescued people from the other side of the galaxy. Over 600 hours mission to save a poor commander. For free. It even got mentioned in some less gaming oriented press

If only the majority of Open was so friendly...
Also, note that you can only scoop from certain type of stars. Learn this phrase "Oh Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me" - the first letters of every word are types of stars that are scoopable. Or if you want a shorter form: KGBFOAM
You can check type of the star on the galaxy map. Nowadays you also can see the last scoopable star (fuel star) on the plotted course, so it isn't that crucial if you're paying attention. There are however patches of white dwarfs to traverse, and venturing unprepared can leave you stranded.
Fly dangerously and take risks, the starter ships are meant to be trashed

They costs peanuts compared to late game ships... Oh and PS:
Source: https://youtu.be/jt1g00-OnKg