There is no confirmed release date for the full game. It says on the wiki, that it’s slated for the end of 2016, but the alpha is live and will continually update and progress to the point of completion. You will need a decent setup to be able to run the game, but the level of immersion they’re going for and what’s already in alpha is amazing!
The group I’d like to put together is a few cargo haulers (auroras and up) and some fighters for escort, splitting the profits among all.