Yes I noticed that, but is a hint to you! It's tell you what you need to use to complete the mission. To scan the cargohold of the ship and to tractor the lifepod of Ashcroft.

In the 'original' Freelancer (that is, before M$ got their hands on it) engines, tractor beams, scanners, hull armor, power cores, and all kinds of other equipment were readily buyable, sellable, and tradeable. They were likely cut out as DA was forced to rush to complete the game. Many of these features have been modded back into the game, with mods like TNG, Rebalance, Evolutions, and Monkey Universe, etc.