[geoffmunn]

I've often wondered about option 2, but wouldn't that be very risky if you were near something/someone and you created a large gravitational field? Also, if this was common and you had lots of ships warping the gravity field then would that not be some kind of space pollution?

I know space is big and all that, but this seems like an irresponsible option.

[Prickle]

Yes actually, it would be. It would also depend on whether you have fine control over the size of the spacetime pothole. It is also possible that the larger nearby gravity well would pull on the pothole.

I like to think that concepts such as "you must be at the edge of the solar system to initiate faster than light travel" or "cannot initiate faster than light within the gravity well of planet" originate here.

I have nothing to backup that theory of course.

As for space pollution, I never really thought of that. But considering some of our observation tools observe 'gravitational waves'? I could imagine another "starlink and light pollution is getting in the way of space observation" situation.