I have a current game where I was awarded a MK 10 or such Survey ship. It has phenomenal visibility but cannot 'survey' anomolies. I raced to pick up Sensors but I am still unable to upgrade it with a module.
I think its due to my not having 'medium' sized hulls. I am working there now. However, if you are awarded a 'survey' ship early on, the devs need to code that it is fully functional regardless of your current tech level.