All the information I found on this was from over five years ago. It doesn't look like the AI takes care of it. By the time you would do those missions, the reward is too small anyway. There doesn't look to be a penalty for not accepting them, at this time.

This game was not advertised well. I didn't know it existed till more recently. Someone referenced it on Youtube. It was free.

Quick Starting Guide -

I did VIP missions till I could buy an Omen.

In an Omen, you can start trading. When you are in a bigger ship, the AI starts giving you better trade missions. Water and fuel are good to trade to get that part of the economy going. At some point, there may be a bottle neck with steel in the global economy.

Buying an extra omen to do a trade route with water + Fuel is profitable.

I traded, and did missions till I could afford a Themis. This was perfect with affordability, and trade capacity. You can do big trades of water, fuel, and steel. Also, you can pre-plan all your stations.

Quick Start.