Fight in space or on the planets, or just travel the universe. Visit cities and buildings, mine resources, trade with or speak to individuals on the planets. Explore and discover. Buy a new ship, fit upgrades, and hire a whole army of crew!
Many people will probably thinks that this screenshot shows an energy field (shield) around the ship, but this is not the case.
This is a warp bubble - area of space inside which the ship actually remains stationary, at the same time this area of space (along with the ship) moves itself at speeds exceeding the speed of light many times.
About warp technology and why it was chosen for the game, read the article: Indiedb.com