Here's one specific example, and the only one that I'm aware of: the Sova Carrier's Missile Turret ability.

More generally, capital ships can create other ships on the fly. When these ships, like the missile turret, are created, they are "kicked" away from the mothership with an initial impulse. (Check out AbilityDeployCombatTurret.entity.) The initial impulse is combined with the mass of the created ship to determine its initial velocity. After launch, normal ship movement takes over. In the case of the Missile Turret, it decelerates to its maximum speed of zero.

Adjusting either the impulse (defined in the ability) or the mass (in FrigateCombatTurret.entity) will affect how far the turret is thrown before it comes to rest.

Oh, and I ran across this because in my mod, I use this ability to launch space mines, with a much lower mass. When I initially tried it, the impulse from the unmodified Sova ability threw the space mines at breakneck velocity across the gravity well. They didn't stop at the boundary either, just kept flying into the void.

I get the feeling from your responce that you havent moded ships yet. When you open a ship file to mod it it looks like this.

TXT
entityType "CapitalShip"
ability:0 "AbilityGaussBlast"
ability:1 "AbilityFlakBurst"
ability:2 "AbilityAdaptiveShield"
ability:3 "AbilityLastStand"
defaultAutoAttackRange "GravityWell"
CanBomb TRUE
HasBombingLevels FALSE
BaseDamage 65.000000
BasePopulationKilled 4.200000
BombingFreqTime 10.000000
BaseRange 3000.000000
BombTransitTime 12.000000
BombHitEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalPlanetBombing_Hit"
BombTravelEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalPlanetBombing_Travel"
BombMuzzleEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalPlanetBombing_Muzzle"
NumBombMuzzleSoundIDs 1
SoundID "WEAPON_TECH_PLANETBOMB_MUZZLE"
NumBombHitSoundIDs 3
SoundID "EXPLOSION_SUB4"
SoundID "EXPLOSION_SUB4_ALT1"
SoundID "EXPLOSION_SUB4_ALT2"
MainViewIcon "MAINVIEWICON_CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP"
basePrice
credits 3000.000000
metal 400.000000
crystal 250.000000
slotCount 40
BuildTime 75.000000
MaxHullPoints
StartValue 3000.000000
ValueIncreasePerLevel 120.000000
MaxShieldPoints
StartValue 1250.000000
ValueIncreasePerLevel 135.000000
HullPointRestoreRate
StartValue 1.500000
ValueIncreasePerLevel 0.100000
ShieldPointRestoreRate
StartValue 3.000000
ValueIncreasePerLevel 0.200000
ArmorPointsFromExperience
StartValue 5.000000
ValueIncreasePerLevel 0.450000
MaxAntiMatter
StartValue 225.000000
ValueIncreasePerLevel 20.000000
AntiMatterRestoreRate
StartValue 0.750000
ValueIncreasePerLevel 0.080000
NameStringID "IDS_CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_NAME"
DescriptionStringID "IDS_CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_DESCRIPTION"
PictureBrushID "CAPITALSHIPPICTURE_TECHBATTLESHIP"
Prerequisites
NumResearchPrerequisites 1
ResearchPrerequisite
Subject "RESEARCHSUBJECT_PLANETMODULEACCESS_CAPITALSHIPFACTORYTECH"
Level 1
roleType "Invalid"
numRandomDebrisLarge 2
numRandomDebrisSmall 0
numSpecificDebris 1
specificDebrisMeshName "DebrisTechCapitalShipBattleship"
armorType "CapitalShip"
IconBrushID "HUDICON_CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP"
SmallIconBrushID "HUDICONSMALL_CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP"
NumWeapons 3
Weapon
WeaponType "Beam"
damageEnums
AttackType "CAPITALSHIP"
DamageAffectType "AFFECTS_SHIELDS_AND_HULL"
DamageApplyType "OVERTIME"
DamageType "ENERGY"
WeaponClassType "BEAM"
DamagePerBank:FRONT 90.000000
DamagePerBank:BACK 0.000000
DamagePerBank:LEFT 0.000000
DamagePerBank:RIGHT 0.000000
Range 5000.000000
PreBuffCooldownTime 10.000000
CanFireAtFighter FALSE
SynchronizedTargeting TRUE
PointStaggerDelay 0.250000
TravelSpeed 0.000000
Duration 4.000000
WeaponEffects
WeaponType "Beam"
BurstCount 1
BurstDelay 0.000000
MuzzleEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalBeamHeavy_Muzzle"
NumMuzzleSoundIDs 1
SoundID ""
MuzzleSoundMinRespawnTime 0.100000
HitEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalBeamHeavy_Hit"
HitHullEffectSoundID ""
HitShieldsEffectSoundID ""
NumBeamEffectSoundIDs 1
SoundID "WEAPON_TECHCAPITALBEAMHEAVY_TRAVEL"
BeamGlowTextureName "TechCapitalBeam_Glow"
BeamCoreTextureName "TechCapitalBeam_Core"
BeamWidth 35.000000
BeamGlowColor ffffffff
BeamCoreColor ffffffff
BeamTilingRate 3.000000
Weapon
WeaponType "Projectile"
damageEnums
AttackType "CAPITALSHIP"
DamageAffectType "AFFECTS_SHIELDS_AND_HULL"
DamageApplyType "BACKLOADED"
DamageType "PHYSICAL"
WeaponClassType "AUTOCANNON"
DamagePerBank:FRONT 36.000000
DamagePerBank:BACK 66.000000
DamagePerBank:LEFT 66.000000
DamagePerBank:RIGHT 36.000000
Range 5000.000000
PreBuffCooldownTime 6.000000
CanFireAtFighter FALSE
SynchronizedTargeting FALSE
PointStaggerDelay 1.000000
TravelSpeed 4000.000000
Duration 0.000000
WeaponEffects
WeaponType "Projectile"
BurstCount 15
BurstDelay 0.060000
MuzzleEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalAutoCannonHeavy_Muzzle"
NumMuzzleSoundIDs 3
SoundID "WEAPON_TECHCAPITALAUTOCANNONHEAVY_MUZZLE"
SoundID "WEAPON_TECHCAPITALAUTOCANNONHEAVY_MUZZLE_ALT1"
SoundID "WEAPON_TECHCAPITALAUTOCANNONHEAVY_MUZZLE_ALT2"
MuzzleSoundMinRespawnTime 0.770000
HitEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalAutoCannonHeavy_Hit"
HitHullEffectSoundID "WEAPONIMPACT_PHYSICALHEAVY_HITHULL"
HitShieldsEffectSoundID "WEAPONIMPACT_GENERICHEAVY_HITSHIELDS"
ProjectileTravelEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalAutoCannonHeavy_Travel"
Weapon
WeaponType "Projectile"
damageEnums
AttackType "CAPITALSHIP"
DamageAffectType "AFFECTS_SHIELDS_AND_HULL"
DamageApplyType "BACKLOADED"
DamageType "ENERGY"
WeaponClassType "LASERTECH"
DamagePerBank:FRONT 54.000000
DamagePerBank:BACK 0.000000
DamagePerBank:LEFT 0.000000
DamagePerBank:RIGHT 0.000000
Range 5000.000000
PreBuffCooldownTime 6.550000
CanFireAtFighter FALSE
SynchronizedTargeting TRUE
PointStaggerDelay 0.900000
TravelSpeed 2000.000000
Duration 0.000000
WeaponEffects
WeaponType "Projectile"
BurstCount 1
BurstDelay 0.000000
MuzzleEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalLaserHeavy_Muzzle"
NumMuzzleSoundIDs 2
SoundID "WEAPON_TECHCAPITALFIREBALLHEAVY_MUZZLE"
SoundID "WEAPON_TECHCAPITALFIREBALLHEAVY_MUZZLE_ALT1"
MuzzleSoundMinRespawnTime 0.100000
HitEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalLaserHeavy_Hit"
HitHullEffectSoundID "WEAPONIMPACT_PHYSICALHEAVY_HITHULL"
HitShieldsEffectSoundID "WEAPONIMPACT_GENERICHEAVY_HITSHIELDS"
ProjectileTravelEffectName "Weapon_TechCapitalLaserHeavy_Travel"
m_weaponIndexForRange 0
mass 10000.000000
ShieldMeshName "Shield_TechBattleship"
maxAccelerationLinear 100.000000
maxAccelerationStrafe 10.000000
maxDecelerationLinear 500.000000
maxAccelerationAngular 1.000000
maxDecelerationAngular 9.999996
maxSpeedLinear 500.000000
squadTypeEntityDef:0 "SquadTechCombat"
squadAntiMatterCost:0 0.0
squadTypeEntityDef:1 "SquadTechBomber"
squadAntiMatterCost:1 0.0
NumSoundsFor:ONATTACKORDERISSUED 3
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONATTACKORDERISSUED_0"
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONATTACKORDERISSUED_1"
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONATTACKORDERISSUED_2"
NumSoundsFor:ONCREATION 1
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONCREATION"
NumSoundsFor:ONGENERALORDERISSUED 3
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONGENERALORDERISSUED_0"
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONGENERALORDERISSUED_1"
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONGENERALORDERISSUED_2"
NumSoundsFor:ONSELECTED 4
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONSELECTED_0"
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONSELECTED_1"
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONSELECTED_2"
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONSELECTED_3"
NumSoundsFor:ONSTARTPHASEJUMP 3
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONSTARTPHASEJUMP_0"
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONSTARTPHASEJUMP_1"
SoundID "CAPITALSHIP_TECHBATTLESHIP_ONSTARTPHASEJUMP_2"
MeshName "CapitalShip_TechBattleship"
ExhaustParticleSystemName "Exhaust_TechBattleship"
ExplosionName "CapitalShip0"
CommandPoints
StartValue 0.600000
ValueIncreasePerLevel 0.200000
weaponCooldownDecreasePerc
StartValue 0.000000
ValueIncreasePerLevel 0.030000
weaponDamageIncreasePerc
StartValue 0.000000
ValueIncreasePerLevel 0.100000
HyperspaceChargingSoundID "HYPERSPACE_CHARGEUP"
HyperspaceTravelSoundID "HYPERSPACE_TRAVEL"
EngineSoundID "ENGINE_TECHCAPITALSHIP"
formationRank 0
minShadow 0.200000
maxShadow 1.000000


You can modify everything in this file. Most things are self explanatory but some you have to figure out through trial and error. While useing the trial and error method you have a good chance of breaking the game or after changing something you know nothing about you can start the game and still not see any effect so its better to ask first and if nobody knows then use the trial and error method.

Yeah They made moding realy easy for this game. Its hard to mess anything up because everything is so self explanatory with a minimum of jiberish.

By the way, Thanks Therax that was exactly the info I needed.