NASA Takes Light Saber

[+Fates]

HOUSTON — The Discovery astronauts will have a little something extra in their gear when the space shuttle blasts off in October: Luke Skywalker's original Jedi Lightsaber.

 

As part of the "Star Wars"' 30th anniversary celebration, NASA has agreed to carry the prop weapon into orbit and jettison it in space, according to collectSPACE.com.

 

Details will be announced in Houston Tuesday.

 

The lightsaber will be handed over to the space agency by Chewbacca at the Oakland Airport, not far from George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch, collectSPACE.com said.

 

It reports the priceless piece will be greeted in Houston by a group of Stormtroopers along with R2D2.

 

I can just see the headlines in 100 Years. "Space tourist finds Lukes Light Saber near Alpha Centauri and collects HUGE bounty"

[DWCAce]

I guess they decided against auctioning it off... I'm sure it would of raised thousands... could of gone to charity, or my student loans! :)

[+Fates]

I'm sure Mark Hamil has a spare. I'm also sure there was more then 1 used in the movie. I'm more curious is they are going to incase it somehow so normal space radiation doesn't absorb or deteriorate the artifact. And yes, IMHO, you could say that it is an artifact if it IS the original saber.

 

I'm also confident that there will be a TRACKER website to watch it's celestial path over time. MAybe they'll embed it with a beacon? LOL

[JediMaster]

I'm not sure exactly what the point of this exercise is, honestly...

[Bulldog]

I'm in agreement with you JM.

[Rhodite]

Publicity stunt perhaps (although for what I really don't know)

[sparkomatic]

yeah like the post office and the R2D2 mail boxes...dont know why the Feds are so interested in Star Wars of late...