@PT
One thing in particular you may want to keep an eye on is the tendancy for vessels that collide with one another to 'blend/intertwine' together, as opposed to bouncing off one another.
If you succeed in your goal of slowing them down it is possible that two or more vessels. once having collied may look unsightly/unrealistic for an awful length of game time. :hmm:
I wish you well in your efforts and hope you achieve a successful outcome.