diff --git a/e2e/smoke.spec.ts b/e2e/smoke.spec.ts
index a6d22fa..2a0e819 100644
--- a/e2e/smoke.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/smoke.spec.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
 
-// Mirrors the /api/world response shape (lib/game/save.ts) — kept local so the spec stays self-contained.
+// Mirrors the /api/world + /api/system response shapes (lib/game/save.ts) — kept local so the spec stays self-contained.
 interface WorldSystemDto { id: number; name: string; x: number; y: number; discovered: boolean; current: boolean }
 interface WorldState { systems: WorldSystemDto[]; edges: [number, number][]; turn: number }
+interface PlanetDto { id: number; name: string; type: string; hazard: boolean; explored: boolean; parent: number | null }
+interface InventoryItemDto { kind: string; name: string; qty: number }
+interface SystemState { systemId: number; systemName: string; planets: PlanetDto[]; inventory: InventoryItemDto[]; turn: number }
+interface FoundItem { kind: string; name: string; qty: number }
+interface ExploreResult extends SystemState { outcome: FoundItem[] }
 
 test('landing page loads with the SpaceWanderer title', async ({ page }) => {
   await page.goto('/');
@@ -49,6 +54,71 @@ test('jumping to an adjacent system updates the world state and turn counter', a
   expect(after.systems.find((s) => s.current)?.id).toBe(targetId);
 });
 
+test('local system shows the current system bodies with staggered moons and explore buttons', async ({ page }) => {
+  const sys = (await (await page.request.get('/api/system')).json()) as SystemState;
+
+  await page.goto('/');
+  await page.getByRole('tab', { name: 'LOCAL SYSTEM' }).click();
+
+  // Header carries the real system name + turn counter.
+  await expect(page.getByText(`EXPLORABLE WORLDS // ${sys.systemName.toUpperCase()} — TURN ${sys.turn}`)).toBeVisible();
+  // One EXPLORE button per unexplored body (planets and moons alike).
+  const exploreButtons = page.getByRole('button', { name: /\/\/ EXPLORE$/ });
+  await expect(exploreButtons.first()).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(exploreButtons).toHaveCount(sys.planets.filter((p) => !p.explored).length);
+});
+
+test('exploring a body flips its row state, bumps the turn and shows the scan result', async ({ page }) => {
+  const before = (await (await page.request.get('/api/system')).json()) as SystemState;
+  const target = before.planets.find((p) => !p.explored)!;
+
+  await page.goto('/');
+  await page.getByRole('tab', { name: 'LOCAL SYSTEM' }).click();
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: `${target.name.toUpperCase()} // EXPLORE` }).click();
+
+  const after = (await (await page.request.get('/api/system')).json()) as SystemState;
+  expect(after.turn).toBe(before.turn + 1);
+  expect(after.planets.find((p) => p.id === target.id)?.explored).toBe(true);
+
+  // UI reflects it: the row badge flipped to SCANNED and its EXPLORE button is gone.
+  await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: `${target.name.toUpperCase()} // EXPLORE` })).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(page.getByText(/SCAN RESULT \/\/ /)).toBeVisible();
+});
+
+test('exploration yields finds that accumulate in the inventory', async ({ page }) => {
+  // Scan bodies until one yields something (most scans do; jumping keeps it going if a whole
+  // system is exhausted). P(no find across this many scans) ≈ 0.21^30 — negligible.
+  const found = new Map<string, number>(); // kind|name -> qty
+  let iterations = 0;
+  while (found.size === 0 && iterations < 60) {
+    iterations++;
+    const sys = (await (await page.request.get('/api/system')).json()) as SystemState;
+    const unexplored = sys.planets.filter((p) => !p.explored);
+    if (unexplored.length > 0) {
+      const res = await page.request.post('/api/explore', { data: { planetId: unexplored[0].id } });
+      expect(res.status()).toBe(200);
+      for (const item of ((await res.json()) as ExploreResult).outcome) {
+        found.set(`${item.kind}|${item.name}`, item.qty);
+      }
+    } else {
+      // Current system fully scanned — jump somewhere and keep scanning.
+      const world = (await (await page.request.get('/api/world')).json()) as WorldState;
+      const currentId = world.systems.find((s) => s.current)!.id;
+      const edge = world.edges.find(([a, b]) => a === currentId || b === currentId)!;
+      const targetId = edge[0] === currentId ? edge[1] : edge[0];
+      expect((await page.request.post('/api/jump', { data: { systemId: targetId } })).status()).toBe(200);
+    }
+  }
+  expect(found.size).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+  // Every find landed in the inventory with at least that qty.
+  const sys = (await (await page.request.get('/api/system')).json()) as SystemState;
+  for (const [key, qty] of found) {
+    const [kind, name] = key.split('|');
+    expect(sys.inventory.find((i) => i.kind === kind && i.name === name)?.qty).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(qty);
+  }
+});
+
 test('GET /api/version reports the app version as JSON', async ({ page }) => {
   const res = await page.request.get('/api/version');
   expect(res.status()).toBe(200);
diff --git a/e2e/state.spec.ts b/e2e/state.spec.ts
index 3e22db7..4958300 100644
--- a/e2e/state.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/state.spec.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
 const repoRoot = path.join(__dirname, '..');
 const composeArgs = process.env.E2E_COMPOSE_ARGS ?? '';
 
-// Mirrors the /api/world response shape (lib/game/save.ts) — kept local so the spec stays self-contained.
+// Mirrors the /api/world + /api/system response shapes (lib/game/save.ts) — kept local so the spec stays self-contained.
 interface WorldSystemDto { id: number; name: string; x: number; y: number; discovered: boolean; current: boolean }
 interface WorldState { systems: WorldSystemDto[]; edges: [number, number][]; turn: number }
+interface PlanetDto { id: number; name: string; type: string; hazard: boolean; explored: boolean; parent: number | null }
+interface SystemState { systemId: number; systemName: string; planets: PlanetDto[]; inventory: { kind: string; name: string; qty: number }[]; turn: number }
 
 test('app survives a container restart (stack + volume persistence)', async ({ page }) => {
   test.setTimeout(180_000);
@@ -28,7 +30,22 @@ test('app survives a container restart (stack + volume persistence)', async ({ p
   const targetId = edge[0] === currentId ? edge[1] : edge[0];
   const jumpRes = await page.request.post('/api/jump', { data: { systemId: targetId } });
   expect(jumpRes.status()).toBe(200);
-  const worldJumped = (await jumpRes.json()) as WorldState;
+
+  // Exploration baseline: scan one body so explored state + inventory must survive too.
+  // (Earlier specs may have exhausted the current system, so jump until an unscanned body shows up.)
+  let sysBefore = (await (await page.request.get('/api/system')).json()) as SystemState;
+  for (let i = 0; !sysBefore.planets.some((p) => !p.explored) && i < 20; i++) {
+    const world = (await (await page.request.get('/api/world')).json()) as WorldState;
+    const curId = world.systems.find((s) => s.current)!.id;
+    const e = world.edges.find(([a, b]) => a === curId || b === curId)!;
+    const tId = e[0] === curId ? e[1] : e[0];
+    expect((await page.request.post('/api/jump', { data: { systemId: tId } })).status()).toBe(200);
+    sysBefore = (await (await page.request.get('/api/system')).json()) as SystemState;
+  }
+  const targetPlanet = sysBefore.planets.find((p) => !p.explored)!;
+  const exploreRes = await page.request.post('/api/explore', { data: { planetId: targetPlanet.id } });
+  expect(exploreRes.status()).toBe(200);
+  const sysExplored = (await exploreRes.json()) as SystemState;
 
   // Restart the app container mid-run — the named DB volume must survive it.
   execSync(`docker compose ${composeArgs} restart space-wanderer`, { cwd: repoRoot, stdio: 'pipe' });
@@ -50,10 +67,15 @@ test('app survives a container restart (stack + volume persistence)', async ({ p
   expect(after).toBeDefined();
   expect(after!.version).toBe(before.version); // same build, not a re-seeded stack
 
-  // Game state survived: same turn counter and jumped-to current system as before the restart.
+  // Game state survived: same turn counter and current system as before the restart.
   const worldAfter = (await (await page.request.get('/api/world')).json()) as WorldState;
-  expect(worldAfter.turn).toBe(worldJumped.turn);
-  expect(worldAfter.systems.find((s) => s.current)?.id).toBe(targetId);
+  expect(worldAfter.turn).toBe(sysExplored.turn);
+  expect(worldAfter.systems.find((s) => s.current)?.id).toBe(sysExplored.systemId);
+
+  // Exploration state survived too: the scanned body is still explored.
+  const sysAfter = (await (await page.request.get('/api/system')).json()) as SystemState;
+  expect(sysAfter.turn).toBe(sysExplored.turn);
+  expect(sysAfter.planets.find((p) => p.id === targetPlanet.id)?.explored).toBe(true);
 
   // The page itself serves again with the landing title.
   await page.goto('/');