You start in a pod. You only ever have one pod, and it is always there if you need it. Pods cannot be attacked by other players. Explore freely.
The galaxy is open space: planets, asteroids, wrecks, and other ships. Left click a tile to see its coordinates and what is there.
Open Ship View to walk around inside your current ship. Even a pod has a few tiles you can stand on and build on.
Go back to the galaxy and look for an Azure planet. Left click a planet to see its owner and AI rules. Azure planets belong to Cadian and use Protect All Players, so they are safe from PVP. Monsters can still hurt you.
Move your pod onto the planet to land. You will arrive at the spaceport. Spaceports are safe. You cannot attack or be attacked there.
Walk the surface, fight, harvest, and get your bearings. To leave, stand on the spaceport tiles and use Launch From Planet With Current Ship.
Those are the three views: galaxy, ship, and planet.
