What is there even to find?

Granny Valentine's singing in orbit Mrs. Kurtz school field trip Space pilgrims

Just a few random orbital encounters that I've found. Planet side there are plenty of structures to explore but no real reason to do it; the random loot system ensures you're as likely to find something exploring on your own as you are fulfilling a bounty contract. There is no special reward or motivation to exploring vs finding these structures via a mission.