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Skusci t1_ixt30z0 wrote

Spacecraft need to eject mass to move forward. Essentially they are pushing off parts of themselves, and leaving it behind.

That mass is often burnt exhaust gasses from rockets. For small adjustments they tend to use compressed gas directly since it's easier to control. No need to constantly start and stop a rocket motor.

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Target880 t1_ixt5ho0 wrote

>Spacecraft need to eject mass to move forward. Essentially they are pushing off parts of themselves, and leaving it behind.

They do not need to. Light sails exist and have been used by some satellites. So you can just let the light from the sun push you.

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