Time Delay

Because of the time delays involved, space traffic control (STC) for Starport types A and B cannot give direct commands most of the time; but there needs to be a means to get everyone on the same page to lessen the chances of collisions.

This is complicated by the fact that jump drives will insert traffic that literally wasn't there a second ago.

For initial guidance from the jump in points there are beacons transmitting generic instructions to get the ships on the proper vectors to get them into predictable lanes.  Ships that aren't doing this in a timely manner will attract the attention of STC and other authorities, deviate too much and you might get shot!

Essential to STC is all traffic make noise!  Ships are equipped with transponders that make it a lot simpler for the controllers to identify and locate them.  Serious fines are levied for a non-functional transponder, regardless of the reason.

The pattern of traffic is kind of a double helix so that outgoing and incoming ships don't conflict.  One spirals out one spirals in slightly off plane from each other.

As ships get closer to the destination world, more direct control is asserted to the incoming ship via direct communication.

No matter what, though, the individual ships are responsible for avoiding collisions and following instructions from STC.

Starport type C will only have very local control due to the much smaller volume of traffic they experience and will focus mainly on keeping the orbits around the destination world deconflicted.

Types D, E and X typically don't have any space control with type D having what we'd recognize as AIR traffic control over the down-port itself.

A note on transponders:  They can be disabled with the flick of a switch from the bridge.  There are many legitimate reasons for shutting one off, like not providing a source of radiation for a seeker head to track in on.  The heavy fines are to ensure that captains have a good reason for shutting them off.

A ship not squawking its transponder should be as communicative and cooperative as it can be with the Navy and local patrol ships.  You're a valuable training tool now, and you get to pick the training scenario!  Intercept to render aid or a shoot-x; your choice!