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Originally Posted by kpesanka
This isn't entirely accurate. It's not that we can't maneuver our ship, but rather that there is typically no need for continued thrust. We COULD load up a spacecraft with a huge amount of fuel and zip and zoom around quite a bit, but it is neither economically feasible nor is it needed.
It isn't that we don't have the technology or knowledge, but rather that it is wasteful.
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Exactly: it's just a matter of energy availability. If we could count on wide amount of energy, we shouldn't even worry about wasting it (just like you don't care turning on the engine on your ship once you'r bored sailing around
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Why not use gravity to assist us? Even modern ocean vessels use currents to assist them in order to conserve fuel and decrease the length of their journey. We're doing the same, and correcting our course where needed.
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We have to wait right conditions (planets alignment) to be able to use "gravitational streams" to reach planets, and for far planets we even need gravity-assist manuevers, due to "missing engine". (It's like going into a whirlpool with our ship, to get enough energy to be launched far enough!
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Not to mention the final orbit insertion: imagine such a method applied to a boat arriving to harbour!