I think something like an overview of Eve's would help greatly to expand the feel of the space, let me see all the traders/pirates/npcs about and how far off they are etc.

The scanning mechanic is lacklustre.

In EVE, each system felt like a system. In this, it feels like a pocket, with some asteroids and maybe one or two stations, it doesn't feel organic. It feels like it needs the 'warp drive active' of Aura to get to an asteroid belt or something similar. Embiggen them.