Look, it is already working, as they are on mars at the moment, yes?
If you were to emit photons in front of the ship, it would destroy the 'rocks,' burning right through planets and asteroids too, yes?
Now, if you were on my forum, I could tell you how to emit photon's from a laser, powered by a particle beam accelerator engine or plasma or proton engine, as I have theorised them all. They refuse to build the quasar engine as it is too dangerous, but the fusion engine is working on those space ships outside mars. Basically, what I can remember is that you take the two positive ions and place negative ions around them to force them together enough.
So, with this engine emitting a powerful laser in front of it, it can destroy all things that get in the way. of course, if you want to go that fast, you need to use nitrogen four, as it is not carbon based, and is a building material. hell I even theorised how to belt that stuff out on a conveyor belt, along with all other metals, using atomic heating and restructuring. Basically, you use four lasers that intersect in the middle on top of a conveyor belt, and make it so that they meet in one point, using all sorts of things I have forgotten about, as I did this in 2009, and then you belch out materials. If the atoms were heated, and stripped or added to, with artificial atomic structuring, it is possible.