Two Trains Are Driving Towards Each Other...

[Lidhuin]

One is going 10 kps and can accelerating at 1km/s^2

The other is going 1 kps and is accelerating at 2km/s^2

They're 5000 km apart from each other. When do they meet?

Terra Invicta: Trick question! The Train that's going 10 kps and can only accelerate at 1km/s^2 will evade the other train, because it could go 10 million kms, where the other train could only go 5 million km.

[corisai]

Originally posted by Fwiffo:

No, small corrections would not cost them "crazy dV" nor would they have to wait years. They could easily correct that in 1-2 orbital periods after arriving in orbit.

While aerobraking isn't an option in game - aliens are wasting a lot of time and dV on deceleration burn to arrive on Earth orbit. If our SDF will deny them doing so they will miss Earth orbit, so will stay on Sun orbit and things will get quite messy to them. As I already said - they are NOT using optimal transfers, instead fast ones & rely on prolonged burn phases.

Flyback pass Earth =//= arriving on Earth orbit :)

[nephilimnexus]

Your ship has 500mg of acceleration and 500 fuel tanks.
Enemy ship has 5mg of acceleration and 501 fuel tanks.
Can you catch the enemy ship?

Of course not! He has more FUEL than you, duh!