Frontier Developments announces plans to launch beta 2 of Elite: Dangerous on September 30th, which happens to mark the 30th anniversary of the original Elite. The new beta includes new features for the space combat remake, as well as special items to commemorate the occasion. Here's word on the new stuff:

Elite: Dangerous 'Beta 2' is a major gameplay upgrade to the Beta:

• Combat ratings from ‘Harmless’ all the way up to ‘Elite’.
• Reputations per system and galaxy-wide that influence attitudes and prices offered to you.
• Ability to discover and explore and scan new systems and sell the data on them.
• Detailed system maps.
• Around 500 additional star systems to explore.
• Lakon Asp Explorer ships added.
• Much greater variety of upgradable Life Support modules, Engines, Hyperdrives, Power Distributors, Sensors, Shield Generators and Cargo Racks for all ships.
• Ships are subject to gradual ‘wear and tear’.
• New weapons including mines and a new non-lethal missile-deployed cargo hatch disruptor for piracy.
• Outposts (small, exposed ‘roadside café’ stations in remote locations)
• Occelus starports, a version of which can move around for early civilization of new systems and space tourism.
• Visibility of other ships in supercruise, and track others through supercruise and hyperspace.
• Newsfeeds about events from the rest of the galaxy and player activity in your local system.
• All backers names (from the appropriate crowd-funding reward tiers) have been added to the NPC naming database.

Beta 2 also includes a host of other improvements and optimizations including additional rock, ice and metal planetary ring types, a lot more music and some optional ‘simulator’ tutorials.