/sci/ - Science & Math

I was thinking about the physics of maneuvering high mass objects in space the other day, and ran into a problem I couldn't quite understand.

Say a spacecraft is an x meter long, cylindrical, tube-like structure with an engine pointed out one end. Further, that the other end of the cylindrical ship has a protective dome with a central antennae; the antennae points directly where the ship is going, as the engine is pointed in the opposite direction.

Now, figure we have an object of high mass and irregular shape. Would asymmetry in the mass distribution with respect to the point of propulsion induce a spin in the object, or would it simply travel linearly but with it's "front" slightly angled to compensate for the uneven mass?

I hope that makes sense, I really don't know how to better phrase the question as my knowledge of physics is pretty basic.

The logistics of space maneuvering are fascinating, and future human craft will inevitably have methods for it.