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Well, since they're in testing things could change, but when I was in, space combat was completely optional. You don't ever get jumped between planets like in KOTOR (god I hated that) or get forced to do the mini-game to get somewhere like in Jade Empire (god I really, really hated that).
The way it works (or rather worked) is that there's a terminal on your bridge near the galactic map that gives you space mission quests, which could be repeated daily when I played, for space commendations. As you advanced through the missions you got a new set of quests (I only completed the first uest, I was not able to complete the 2nd and 3rd space missions, which were both required to finish the 2nd daily quest). You could also just run the missions without (or after) the daily quest, but you didn't get many commendations that way. In my build you used those commendations to purchase ship upgrades. The ship right when you start with has blasters and missiles. You can add shields, or add hp to the ship, or improve the blasters and missiles, or carry more missiles, etc. Now I'm told you can actually purchase upgrades with credits, although i can't say for sure if that's true.
There were also bonus missions, objectives you could complete beyond the requirements you had to finish the mission, but I think most of those would require an upgraded ship to complete, meaning the way it was in my build, you probably wouldn't really be able to wipe out bonus objectives until your character was in his 40s or 50 (because in my build, upgrades had level requirements).
Basically the only reason to run space missions was for a change of pace from the ground game (and it was great for that...) or to earn commendations to improve your ship in space combat missions. It wasn't in any way required, at least not when I tested.
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