I have this amusing vision of a rocket ship that resembles a Slinky™ dog, the rear propulsion section connected to the habitable front by an exaggerated spring.

More likely you’d have the engines flying out in front on tethers, so like a skier behind a thermonuclear ski boat. Tethers would weigh a lot less than springs.

You could also have fully electromagnetic “springs” using powerful superconducting magnets.