Re: Maneuvering a Spaceship

On 8 Aug., 18:37, IsaacKuo <mech...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
A visible-to near-UV FEL is a laser (thus the name "Free
Electron Laser")

It's not really important, but just to pick a nit I'm referring to
what I read about a FEL beam not being "stimulated emission" as per
the laser acronym, hence it's technically not a laser, but they stick
with the name because the actual beam is more or less the same.

For example, I like the idea of a long range X-ray FEL tuned
to the k-shell binding energy of tunsgten (17.8pm).

Of course, but such an array requires huge ships and quite some
planning, doesn't it?
The reason why I want to avoid X-ray lasers like that is because they
make combat so deadly that it's boring. [Kinda reminds me of a Mafalda
comic strip where the kids on the playground have to go home in two
minutes and so only have time to play nuclear war: "Boom", everyone
drops dead, and they go home.]
The _justification_ why ships don't carry x-ray FELs is the sheer size
of the array. Present-day x-ray FELs are several hundred metres long
and I don't even want to know the mass.

It makes more sense to rely on short range shuttles
and/or tugs.

Tugs are a good idea, I'll keep that in mind. Same as the rest of your
points (which I snipped here).
.