For the sake of argument, the Raddus was likely travelling just short of true lightspeed (the speed of light, designated 'c,' is 186,282 miles per second), so we'll call its speed 99.9% of c. This term handily expresses how much the measurements of time, length, and various other physical properties of an object change while moving. In equations, this is typically represented by the Greek symbol Gamma (ЙЈ). To figure out the amount of energy that the impact of an object travelling at lightspeed would have, we need something called the Lorentz Factor (opens in new tab). This is where the science fantasy of 'Star Wars' meets an inkling of science fact. The Holdo Maneuver as seen in Star Wars The Last Jedi. Exactly How Powerful is the Holdo Maneuver? The most obvious difference between this and the kamikaze move is that Project Thor didn't involve loss of life for the aggressor. Later, it was floated as part of Ronald Regan's real-life 'Star Wars' program in the 1980s, renamed as Brilliant Pebbles. The idea was to launch telephone-pole sized tungsten projectiles from orbit to wreak tremendous damage against targets on the ground. Interestingly, an idea like the Holdo Maneuver was proposed years before 'The Last Jedi.' Before turning to work on award winning science fiction novels, Jerry Pournelle worked at Boeing, and formulated an idea called ' Project Thor.' While this mostly bears no similarity to the MCU's upcoming 'Thor: Love and Thunder,' its destructive capabilities are reminiscent of Mjolnir. While this might sound incredibly imposing, all it really means is the use of a high speed object (sometimes a vehicle) and its associated kinetic energy as a makeshift missile.

Among science fiction circles, the Raddus would be called an RKKV - or Relativistic Kinetic Kill Vehicle (opens in new tab).

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