What is the initial effect on positioning ability if a thruster commanded at 45% begins showing 20% feedback?

When a thruster is commanded to operate at 45% output but is only showing 20% feedback, it indicates a discrepancy between the command and the actual thruster performance. This situation involves an insufficient thrust being delivered compared to what was requested.

The initial effect on positioning ability in this scenario is that the vessel will not maintain its position as intended. Since the thruster is effectively providing less thrust than needed for the desired position, the vessel will begin to move away from its setpoint, which is not in alignment with the desired position or the force intended from the thrusters.

This movement is away from the setpoint, indicating that the vessel may start to drift towards the environment or the opposite direction of the commanded thrust due to the reduced force. This means that rather than remaining stationary or gaining stable positioning, the vessel begins to accelerate off the intended position because the commanded thrust is not being met.

When examining the other choices, they either suggest stability or an erroneous stationary condition when in reality the mismatch in thruster performance results in the vessel moving away from its setpoint. Therefore, the correct answer reflects the initial response of the vessel given the reduced thruster feedback.