Do Hatch Breakers Have Any Effect If Cargo Hold Is Empty?

While I'm bounty hunting, I usually have no Cargo Racks installed. Still, some enemies will fire Hatch Breakers at me anyway.

Do these have any effect at all on me?

Solution 1:

Yes.

Hatch Breakers damage your Cargo Hatch, not your Racks. Your Cargo Hatch, or Cargo Scoop, is the door that closes of your cargo hold where your Racks reside. When the doors are damaged, there is a chance you will loose cargo. Since you fare no cargo, you can't loose any.

However, your cargo doors will still be damaged and would need repair so future cargo (if you install racks) won't have a chance to drop out.

Clarification

A cargo hatch with 0% integrity, which is essentially broken, does not count as open for the sake of engaging Supercruise or using Frame Shift. Hence, it won't prevent either of those modes of navigation.