The Emthruster: Thrust without reaction?

[radtech497]

Another factor could be the use of boostbeams and mag-brakes. These might both accelerate and impede the development of beam-core ships. Accelerate in that their use would reduce the amount of amat fuel needed. Impede because they would amplify the performance of existing ships and so raise the bar that a beam-core ship would need to get over to demonstrate a return on investment sufficient to build them in quantity.

With a maximum velocity of 0.65c, the beamed-core spacecraft would likely have been supplanted by conversion drive ships almost immediately (both were available in the First Federation period), though the amat vessels' dominance might have benefitted from the relatively slow (?) diffusion of conversion technology from its S:2 inventors.

Radtech497