Sounds like quite an experience you had in Kansas.
Your findings are pretty interesting, actually.
A couple of months back, IMG sent an expeditionary group out to Kansas for exploration purposes. I was actually part of that group, and I haven't returned since.
We were attacked by a group of Xenos, and my Gunboat equipment was less than capable, at the time, to combat them efficiently.
My ship was badly damaged, but salvageable.
Regardless, we had found and charted quite a number of interesting things, including the remnants of that derelict outpost you spoke of, as well as the field of Iridium, and one of the planets there that potentially looked habitable.
We have had our eye on that system for quite some time.
Also you mentioned Nanite mining.
This sounds like a project the Research and Technology Division has been developing for quite some time.
At the Kishiro Science and Technology Expo, earlier this year, we unveiled our prototype model of a Mining Charge capable of smashing rocks without damaging nearby ships hulls or the Ore inside. The project is still in the testing phase.
Keep up the good work, and thanks for reporting in so frequently!