Ground Grid which consists of G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-4 is the MAP. Ground Units cannot walk/march from one sector to the next (unless you have a Colonel or Hero ability to allow this). Players are encouraged to use a common sense approach when selecting which sector has what terrain modifiers. For example... Coruscant would be ALL Urban... Endor ALL Forest. Places like Corellia might be mixed, etc. Look under the rules in the Ground Section for all this.
Combat Space Patrol is limited to protecting specific areas of space rather than specific units. AUX on CSP block attacking AUX, SFs on CSP block attacking SFs. If you have SFs on CSP, then any SFs that want to attack targets in that Sector must go through your CSP first. So no, you can't have your SFs do "Escort CSP" for your AUX.
Manufacturing Facilities are unlimited. If you can buy it, they can build it. This way, thousands of troops can be trained at a time, as well as entire PDF replacements.
Outposts have been removed and replaced with Strongholds, which are heavily fortified Player-controlled planets. If you want to expand your faction, you'll have to take over another planet to do so. As Ramano said, some planets are "blank slates" (like Hoth or Rhen Var) or have "minor NPC presences" (like the two Asteroid systems), and so players could certainly go to these worlds and set up shops if they so choose.
Missions are not completed yet for all the heroes, but here's a brief overview below. Nearly all missions will take 28 days and will have 4 milestones that have to be completed before the Mission is accomplished.
1. Diplomacy: Will allow Leaders and Jedi to take over a planet without the use of their military.
2. Conquest: Will allow Officers and Sith to take over a planet with their military AND rapidly set up shop afterwards. (Leaders can still take over planets, but they won't get the benefits of Conquest).
3. Jedi/Sith Training: Will allow Jedi to advance in rank faster than every other Hero.
4. Freelancers: Will have a set of mini-missions (like Smuggling Runs) to do so they can make lots of money.
Quests/Special Projects/Epic Missions will be the same as regular Missions, but with more criteria. Here's what's on the drawing boards:
1. Build the Death Star III.
2. Find the lost Katana Fleet. Which for purposes of this game will be (20) Katana Dreadnaughts with CP 1 (because of slave-rigging).
3. Establish the Jedi Order: This will open up a large tech tree for the Jedi, to include lots of Old Republic technology such as Jedi Pilots (which can be added to any Starfighter Squad to give it Maneuver +2), Republic Clonetroopers, Jedi Knights (which will be treated as GAVs due to their power), and Jedi Star Destroyers (which will be modified VNSDs).
4. Establish the Sith Empire: Same as the Jedi bonuses basically with Sith Pilots, Sith Troopers, Sith Warriors, and Sith Star Destroyers.
5. Expand the Empire: Complete (3) Conquest missions and get some huge bonus.
6. Declaration of the New Republic: Complete (3) Diplomacy missions and get some huge bonus.