Brilliant entry, very clean and polished! BIG fan of the music and tone throughout, definitely nailed the theme of Exploration too.
1) Is the controls of the game clear
I think so, though I missed the popup for how to use the aegis shield the first time and didn't know how to use it! I eventually noticed the controls are in the "bars" on the top left though, maybe they could stand out a little more? Regarding the controls, I really liked how it was a fresh take on how to move the ship by having your cursor behind it to move. It led to some intense moments where I was trying to navigate through asteroids and space pirates while frantically swinging my mouse around to make sure I was going the right way!
2) Rate the difficulty curve of the game
I think it gradually increased well, it never felt unfair once I figured out the aegis, in fact it was quite satisfying when taking out multiple ships at once with it. And when Minotaur shows up, it really heightens the sense of urgency when it gives chase. There were some ways to cheese it just a little by getting it stuck on some asteroids, but I found it was usually able to navigate it's way back around them and chase after me again.
3) What is the most memorable moment from your playthrough?
Either
1) The first time I saw Minotaur, who kind of blended into the orbit of the sun (like it was one of those pirate spawn points) and then started moving towards me
2) Finding the habitable planet, I think you nailed the atmosphere through-out and the sense of relief and genuine joy of finding the goal at the end was spot on, especially with the music.