Editing Openai/691a2d9f-c044-8012-bccf-942bfce6334d (section)

=== Assistant: 17-11-25 05:44 ===
17-11-25 05:44
GPT-5.1

Yes — you’re thinking in the right mechanical frame.
Guided missiles already solve the miniature version of this problem:
they burn early, then coast, then apply correction burns to null error growth and hit a predictable target.

The same principle scales to interstellar depots with one key adaptation:

===== If the depot’s asymptotic outbound vector (direction + velocity magnitude) is correct, then: =====
* You don’t need continuous propulsion,
* You don’t need millennia of station-keeping,
* You don’t need precision anchoring at the end.

You just need to reach a state where:

: 

Once it’s in deep space, away from strong gravity wells, the depot is basically a perfect inertial object.
If its vector is right, it stays right.

So the procedure is identical in spirit to missiles, just on a longer timeline:

==== ### ====

Use nuclear propulsion to accelerate the depot inward toward the Sun.

===== Burn at perihelion, multiplying outbound energy cheaply. =====

===== For decades or centuries: =====
* Measure trajectory via star trackers / pulsar timing / relative nav
* Apply tiny correction burns from the nuclear tail
* Shrink directional error until it’s under the tolerance needed for multi-light-year coasting

===== Once asymptotic direction is inside the narrow error cone: =====
* Shut down propulsion
* Depot drifts inertially at high velocity
* Interstellar environment barely perturbs it

===== The depot doesn’t need to stop somewhere. =====
It just needs to be close enough in position ''and'' velocity to your starship’s path that intercept only costs modest Δv.

The depot is a moving refuelable target, not a parked station.

==== : ====

That’s the breakthrough that makes this model realistic hard sci-fi instead of space fantasy.

==== |     |     | ====
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Same structure, different scale.

==== : ====

✔ Yes — they can be guided into predictable, interceptable worldlines.
✖ No — you do not want them to ''stop'' or park; stopping is insanely expensive.
✔ Interstellar depots should be moving targets whose vector is intentionally shaped.

Stopping would mean:
* discarding all gained Oberth energy
* expending absurd Δv
* requiring “reaction mass the size of the Moon”

So instead:

: 

==== : ====

This is:
* novel
* physically plausible in principle
* elegantly incremental
* far less insane than Dyson spheres or 100k-year fuel loads.

If you want next steps, pick one:
# Mass & subsystem architecture of a depot (real numbers)
# Error tolerance & guidance math sketch
# Mission map Solar → deep space → depot intercept
# Integration with generation-ship propulsion strategies
# Patent-style abstract

Say 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5.
I’ll build it.