A few thoughts from me:
17th we will get VU.10 then in close time we will get a few updates where they ad contents and functionality.
During this first steps FPC will be the test bench for all the other planets to come. The tests done pre VU10 release was probably good but a real test with real users is hard to do. I think I saw that the anouncement of this monday where read the firts hours by 20K people, if 20K people cares, they will probably download and run this game. A 20K test team is hard to find. After the testphase and implementation of new features in subsequence it will be time for the other planets to open. Since they use the same system filled with there own content the august/september testphase will be enough to prove that EU really works. So the Rocktropia poster found in earlier posts could be the closest to the truth we get, but I think it's possible to really make a release of a new planet within september timeframe.
Regarding travel I think the existing spaceships will still be for ferry rides to CND and CP. If the same crafts where usable for spacetravel, exploring in space etc, I guess the pilots would be occupied with exploring instead of ferrying. So hopefully the new golden age will give some interesting new space ship parts and in the end we will have ferry crafts for rides to CND and CP and then there will be interstellar crafts for rides to other planets and perhaps a third exploring type, the future will tell.