Thrusters require energy and reaction mass (or chemical propellants). For every course change of the spinning construct you&#x27;d need to stop the rotation, reel in the drum - now you suddenly need thrust to keep the bodies apart while reeling in, change course, reel out (requires thrust), spin up.<p>All of that requires reaction mass and energy (or chemical rockets).<p>On top of that you can&#x27;t do work on the outside of the space ship since everything (including the space walker) would fly away. You need a double tether at least for safety, etc. Storing the propellants for the thrusters will be an issue: solid boosters won&#x27;t do because they can&#x27;t be stopped. Storing oxygen&#x2F;hydrogen over long periods is an issue in itself.<p>It _is_ a low level physics problem, but the practical implications are massive.