Exploring your new planet should be one of your biggest priorities right after planetfall. Exploring the land surrounding your base will allow you to survey your environment so you may adapt your strategy to it. Building at least 1 additional explorer early on and insuring you restock their expedition modules often will allow you to get to many resource pods and expedition sites, obtaining powerful boosts to your colony and denying them to your opponents. Exploring your surroundings will also allow you to plan out your expansions, assess alien and player threats and adapt your strategy to the terrain around you.