For those of us that play primarily solo, will we be able to activate a distress call so nearby PCs or NPCs can assist?asked by Cordis

Yes. You can call for a space taxi, or AAA to come out and fix your ship, or a fuel guy to come out and bring you fuel.

Right, and that's another reason to play with friends, too. You don't necessarily have to be playing as a group like you do in some other MMOs, but you could have friends that have jobs, or you're in a guild or whatever, that you can call out to in times of need, for whatever that need may be. And it may be other players. It may just be random good Samaritans who come to help you, or it may be NPCs who come to help you.