From the official site of Star Wars: The Old Republic:

"Blast your way through asteroid fields, enemy fighters, and a variety of other obstacles as you encounter fast-paced Space Combat missions in Star Wars?: The Old Republic?. In these occurrences, you?ll fly your personal starship to various ?hot spots? on the galaxy map and experience gameplay that will evoke memories of some of the great Star Wars? space battles.

Watch the gameplay footage of Space Combat in the latest addition to the Game Systems section and learn more about the rewards players can unlock in Space Combat. Also check out the media section to see screenshots, concept art, and wallpapers portraying these heroic battles in space."