Outline of a Space RPG for Next Year

To be played in "episodes" lasting 2-3 hours. Each episode would roughly approximately the action covered in a 1-hour Star Trek episode. Like a TV show, there would be a mix of regular characters and guest stars.

The players would be the crew of a small craft, probably an armed long-range scout ship similar to this or this. This is big enough to matter in multi-ship actions (leading a detachment of torpedo ships on a raid, for example), but small enough that the players would represent a significant proportion of the officers. And this ship is fast enough to escape more heavily-armed craft, and powerful enough to dispatch shuttles and lightweight pirate rabble.

But the main mission would be exploration, the meat and potatoes of the original Star Trek. A starship has disappeared in the Camel Nebula - investigate. What is the source of the unusual energy emissions coming from that solar system? Why does there appear to be no animal life on that otherwise viable-looking Class M planet? What have all transmissions from the prison colony stopped?

I am thinking the system could be GURPS Traveller, but I'm open to suggestions.