03-07-2021, 06:55 AM
Deep space objects are a bit of a distraction when travelling from star to star. To get to an object in the Oort cloud or in deep space, you have to accelerate to something near interstellar speeds, then decelerate to a near standstill with respect to the object - both of which require fuel and propellant. These objects have almost no gravity, so you need to be travelling really slowly to enter orbit, and there's no atmosphere to help with aerobraking.
Once you get to a deep space object you are stuck there, unless you can use local resources to refuel; so that places a size limit on the size of object that you can approach - either the object has enough resources to support you for the foreseeable future, or it has enough material to produce fuel for the next part of the journey. Most of the smaller objects are going to be useless for both purposes.
Once you get to a deep space object you are stuck there, unless you can use local resources to refuel; so that places a size limit on the size of object that you can approach - either the object has enough resources to support you for the foreseeable future, or it has enough material to produce fuel for the next part of the journey. Most of the smaller objects are going to be useless for both purposes.