If the Nebula is an unknown system (check) I'd have my protagonist take readings (composition, density, comms and sensor quality) to plan future ops (you know the little things that turn into tactical advantages)
A lot of that can be done with simple tasks - fly x meters from the node, fly speed s for t seconds, fly to point a, get distance x from friendlies, drop a probe which replaces your secondaries, tag a passing ship and watch the signal fade - which can chained, scaled and adapted to fit the point in the narrative.