This probably won't be a popular idea, but I'll throw it out there anyway.

Scanning for planets is hard, and it seems to keep getting harder. The way the game is set up, it doesn't pay to do regular frequent scans. We need to do build up a LOT of research, and when it's time for a scan blitz, we need to do a major ship overhaul with vastly higher scanning power than the last blitz. The returns for this are lower and lower. My 1st couple blitzes started with high success % but each time the % chance starts lower, and this is after piling on vastly more powerful tech & artifacts.

It can get very frustrating, seeing crap planet after crap planet in between failed scans, and watching that % number go down each time. So, how about one of these options:

1. Instead of the scan success chance going down, the energy to scan goes up? So you have a number based on your scanning that does not change. But each planet you find will add +1 to the energy cost per scan. This would allow for more scanning over time, instead of having to do it all at once. Scanning activity would be more linear over time instead of occasional peaks, but it wouldn't mean more planets found. UNLESS we decide to focus on energy & scanning instead of leveling, combat, or missions. I think this would be a nice option.

2. Have the ability to put more power to sensors, using energy to boost scans. To keep it balanced for all players at all levels, the cost would probably need to increase. Maybe add +1% for an energy cost of your current tech level. For example, if I've researched tier4 multiwave sensors, I could boost the success chance by +20% by spending 80 more energy per scan. (via a little +/- input box by the scan button.) This would yield better scan rates without giving us more planets, if we chose. And we could decide not to use any energy, to have the exact same scan routine that we have now.

Food for thought. You know me by now, I'm all for variety & options, and for reducing frustration without unbalancing the game.

this is a modification of one of my other ideas... but i think this would be what you are looking for.

be able to convert energy to boost other stats. i suggested earlier the ability to recharge shields, but what about the rest?

what IF energy could be converted for(energy spent in 5 block increments):
1) 5 min boost to attack 5 energy = 1 attack
2) 5 min boost to defense 5 energy = 1 defense
3) 5 min boost to scan 1 energy = 1 scan
4) 5 min boost to cloak 1 energy = 1 cloak
5) perm boost to shield 1 energy = 1 shield

this would allow for a wider scan range.

the only problem is that every time you use a boost like this, the next scan blitz will get increasingly harder because you will have to get increasingly more scan power, or get much more powerful reactors. im stuck in the same way because i always used scan boosts, so i cannot scan again without at least 2 tiers higher in scan...