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All the fighters featured in the Star Wars films lack any sort of thrust vectorizing technology, so from a technical standpoint, they probably shouldn't even be capable of getting off the ground without taxing (which they don't).

How do the ships in Star Wars maneuver without side thrusters?

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    Etheric rudders according to X-Wing novels, pretty sure that translates to bullshit steering thingy
    – IG_42
    Commented Jul 13, 2016 at 15:37
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    Are you sure that there was no thrust vectoring built into the engines. The engine itself may not have articulated, but that doesn't mean that the exhaust somehow didn't, especially if it were magnetically accelerated. The most common type of engine was an ion engine, similar to our ion thrusters, so the vectoring could have been built into that system. In addition, by controlling how much thrust each engine was giving you could push the craft left or right at least. Starships also had/used repulsor technology, though that would be more for around/on planets.
    – Phyneas
    Commented Jul 13, 2016 at 15:57
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    Although I can't find any explicit evidence for that, and it is not very well explained in-universe, like a lot of the science.
    – Phyneas
    Commented Jul 13, 2016 at 16:11
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    Out of universe - the motions of ships in Star Wars were always meant to be cinematic and have a dogfighting feel, and Lucas went through old footage of dogfights and recreated those motions, at least in the first movie. That means in the Battle of Yavin as depicted in Star Wars, the spacecraft move like aircraft, and there's pretty much no scientific way that would make sense, but it does make for a good show.
    – Todd Wilcox
    Commented Jul 13, 2016 at 16:43
  • @Phyneas - I think you'll like the answer. Yes, there's all kinds of thrusting and retro-thrusting going on.
    – Valorum
    Commented Aug 30, 2016 at 20:45

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According to the Star Wars: Incredible Cross-Sections factbook, the T-65 X-Wing fighter utilises "differential thrust" from its four powerful "Fusial Ion Engines", "High-mass electromagnetic gyroscopes" as well as forward facing "retro-thrusters" to create a combination of thrust, pitch, yaw and roll.

Since this is largely reliant on negating the effects of forward thrust, it also goes some way to explaining why the ship handles like a dogfighting jet even though it's in space and should, theoretically, be able to freely rotate.

enter image description here

In the new trilogy (according to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Incredible Cross Sections) the T-70 X-Wing has many of the same features as well as a new refinement, wing-mounted repulsors which, presumably are intended to provide additional maneuverability within a planet's atmosphere.

enter image description here

There's also a nice bit in the Star Wars: Blueprints - Rebel Edition that shows the interior workings of the engines and how they achieve variable thrust vectoring.

enter image description here

As to your (sub-)question of how the ship gets into space in the first place, the answer is that it uses its "Repulsorlift engines" for both lift and vectoring until it's clear of the landing pad and can turn on its main engines.

enter image description here

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  • This is the answer I was looking for, thanks!
    – Paghillect
    Commented Aug 31, 2016 at 12:27
  • @Parsoa - Ask, and ye shall receive.
    – Valorum
    Commented Aug 31, 2016 at 12:35
  • This is a great answer
    – Hyperdrive Enthusiast
    Commented Aug 31, 2016 at 15:27
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    @Hyperdriveenthusiast - Glad you approve
    – Valorum
    Commented Aug 31, 2016 at 16:14
  • That one Hyperdrive component looks like the Falcon.
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Sep 29, 2016 at 12:12

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