18 Jan 1830 gmt [130pm est]
NOT CRITICAL. Workaround found ... and ...
created a new Progen Sentinel and started out by running up OL to 4 via combination of exploring all navs, whacking CL 0 worms, and selling loot.
Finally approached Tovar Maxe [training officer cited in Arx Prima landing instructions] and he offered two missions -- I selected "Learn to Prospect Asteroids" and whipped out to the designated debris field, BUT discovered that I did not have Prospect skill at all.
Returned to Tovar Maxe [after logging out and back on just in case ... also did /fmu to no effect] and he then gave me the standard noob greeting and mission ["Prospect for Clues"] which did trigger receiving the Prospect skill needed.
the bug I see is that the "Learn to Prospect Asteroids" mission should not be offered until AFTER noob has completed the "Prospect for Clues" mission. {Since this did not happen with my other PS 'toon some months ago, I suspect that "Asteroids" has a minimum overall level feature that the earlier 'toon did not meet and thus this incorrect sequence was not triggered.}
cheers