This started out as an exercise investigating what would be worse than ship debt? The answer comes out of securitization and today's housing crisis: Your ship does not belong to you.
We wish to inform you that tomorrow a company will buy out our ship
If players keep the same ship through different one-shots, they can keep their characters meaningfully disposable, helping characters who come aboard the ship later succeed. (Players' first crew or two or three are doomed to abject poverty; we feel for them, for we are they.)
Join other play groups around the world for a session and help them grow their ship's rank. Read about how well they do in later reports and know you helped get that ship to where it is today!
If players don't bookkeep Spent fuel, nothing differs from core rules (exception being inspections, but, IMO, a 5-20% Inspection check on port entry should be routine in any travel game).
Ship commissions subject to change, falling as: player earnings increase, fungus spreads, sector queen is dethroned, system enters electostatic fog, quantum pollution gives stars cancer or the like.
Inspired by Final Fantasy VIII's SeeD Rank system https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps/197343-final-fantasy-viii/faqs/19029
Q: Why is money a skill check?
A: If you hold your tongue down with your teeth while saying "economy of scale", you end up saying "economy of skill"
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SPONSORSHIP
When a company sponsors your ship, it acquires the ship debt, pays 90% commission on all ship sales and gives that ship a regular stipend. It also delivers patches – wear it during inspection, and write OWNED in the Cost box of your ship sheet.