Nasa Shuttle to Launch Lightsaber

When the space shuttle Discovery launches the STS-120 astronaut crew in October, the force will be with them.


Stowed on-board the orbiter, in addition to a new module for the International Space Station, will be the original prop lightsaber used by actor Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the 1977 film "Star Wars". The laser-like Jedi weapon is being flown to the orbiting outpost and back in honor of the 30th anniversary of director George Lucas' franchise.

Before it can make its trip to orbit though, the lightsaber will first fly to Houston, Texas, home of NASA's Johnson Space Center, by way of Southwest Airlines and a Star Wars-studded send off from Oakland International Airport in California on Tuesday.

Chewbacca, the towering Wookiee best known from the film as Han Solo's co-pilot on the Millennium Falcon, will officially hand the lightsaber over to officials from Space Center Houston during a ceremony at the airport. Joining "Chewie" will be other characters from the six-part sci-fi classic, including Boba and Jango Fett and together they help push back the airplane on the tarmac.

Once on the ground in Houston, the flight will be greeted by a troop of Stormtroopers and other Star Wars notables including the droid R2-D2, who will deliver the lightsaber to a waiting line of Hummers outside the baggage claim of the William P. Hobby Airport. Accompanied by a police escort, the soon-to-be real space artifact will be driven to Space Center Houston to be exhibited inside a vault that currently displays moon rocks.

Space Center Houston, as the official visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, plans to publicly display the lightsaber through Labor Day, after which it will be prepared for its launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

First of all i didnt know they had lightsabers so its hard to believe. Also Why send a lightsaber? thats a waste i rather them send it to me. Why put a fake lightsaber in the orbit when it cost 10,000 dollars to put in one pound in the orbit. Atleast we pay are taxes for the right reasons.


Source:

First of all i didnt know they had lightsabers so its hard to believe.

You haven't read the article properly.

Also Why send a lightsaber? thats a waste i rather them send it to me. Why put a fake lightsaber in the orbit when it cost 10,000 dollars to put in one pound in the orbit

Stowed on-board the orbiter, in addition to a new module for the International Space Station, will be the original prop lightsaber used by actor Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the 1977 film "Star Wars". The laser-like Jedi weapon is being flown to the orbiting outpost and back in honor of the 30th anniversary of director George Lucas' franchise.

There's you answer.

The answers to all your questions are within the article.

Peace

AoN



[edit on 4-9-2007 by Anomic of Nihilism]