posted 08-28-2007 08:52 AM               

Space shuttle Discovery and the crew of STS-120 are scheduled to launch in October with the second multi-port node for the international space station. Along with them for the ride will be the original prop lightsaber used by Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the movie "Star Wars". Before leaving the planet, the lightsaber will depart Lucasfilm in Calif. for Space Center Houston with a Star Wars-studded send off.

posted 08-28-2007 01:07 PM               

I love space. I love humans in space. And sometimes I have to explain to my friends why we need manned missions.

I tell then about all the things only humans can do, compare to robots, though with the Mars missions it's a bit hard to do. I tell them about the moon, but they want to know why we circle the earth with the shuttle, why the ISS.

posted 08-28-2007 02:05 PM               

Jamestown didn't pay for its 400-year old shipping tag to fly earlier this year, nor did Panzone's Pizzeria pay to fly its t-shirt on Endeavour earlier this month.

The lightsaber will fly in the STS-120 official flight kit, just as the colonial tag and t-shirt did on prior missions. Its flight comes at practically no cost to NASA: the external tank will be filled -- with or without the lightsaber -- to loft the 30,000 pound Harmony Node 2, not to mention the 176,419 pound shuttle Discovery, in addition to its seven-person crew and other cargo. Five pounds (if that) will hardly register on the scale.

posted 08-28-2007 02:18 PM               

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Originally posted by Leon Ford:
...why does this item get to go up on the shuttle and something that I would like to send up of my own doesn't get to go?

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posted 08-28-2007 02:51 PM               

No Robert, I was not talking about the astronauts taking things up for themselves or friends. (If I had an astronaut friend who would take up something for me, I don't care what these folks around here would say!!)

What I was asking about was why are some companies and organizations allowed to send things up on the shuttle, and the American people, who pay taxes for the shuttle, can't send something up.

Again, I am a Star Wars fan, but I don't know of anything that George Lucas and Lucasfilms has ever really done for anyone other than make money. I don't remember him making a contribution to NASA to help out with a mission. (Maybe NASA has been using some extra X-Wing fighter parts on the shuttle I don't know about.)

posted 08-28-2007 03:27 PM               

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Originally posted by Leon Ford:
OK, guess I stepped on someone's toes there!

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As I mentioned earlier, what Lucas provided through his films was inspiration. There are many, many NASA employees who credit "Star Wars" for their initial interest and excitement in space, and the same can be said for many people who didn't go to work for the space program but who support NASA in their own ways.

I could see the confusion if this was a prop from "The Godfather" or even "The Lord of the Rings", which has absolutely no relationship to inspiring thoughts about space exploration, but Star Wars came out at a time when we weren't doing much in the way of real human spaceflight, and thus caught a lot of attention by those who desired to see us reach galaxies far, far away.

That, and Star Wars has become an American icon, followed by millions. The lightsaber on STS-120 is similar in that regard to the baseball on STS-118.

posted 08-28-2007 04:52 PM               

Upon further thought, I think I dislike the idea mostly because it's a distraction from the real accomplishments of the mission. Just like more people will remember Sunni Williams space marathon more than any experiment she conducted on the ISS, more people may end up reading about this lightsaber than reading about the accomplishments of the STS-120 crew.

I just think that in light of the bad press NASA has had over the past year, there should be extra emphasis on eliminating things that distract the media from the real mission at hand. Go ahead and fly the lightsaber if one wants to do a personal favor to Lucas and company. Just don't draw any attention to it.

posted 08-28-2007 07:13 PM               

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Originally posted by mjanovec:
I think I dislike the idea mostly because it's a distraction from the real accomplishments of the mission. Just like more people will remember Sunni Williams space marathon more than any experiment she conducted on the ISS, more people may end up reading about this lightsaber than reading about the accomplishments of the STS-120 crew.

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So what if more people remember Suni's marathon than her experiments? In my opinion, it's a good thing when the average American citizen sees the human side of space. That's not to say that I think it's a good thing that the average American citizen only sees the human interest stories. There is a balance.

I believe that the lightsaber flying on STS-120 will bring some positive press to NASA, and may even pique the interest of some average American citizens who may not otherwise pay any attention to the mission.

posted 08-28-2007 11:39 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Leon Ford:
What I was asking about was why are some companies and organizations allowed to send things up on the shuttle, and the American people, who pay taxes for the shuttle, can't send something up.

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During the event, I did inquire as to why, specifically, Lucasfilm was invited to fly something on the shuttle. It seems it wasn't Lucas' idea at all, but rather the initiative of someone within NASA who was a fan of the films who started the ball rolling. There were apparently enough people within NASA who thought it was a good idea to eventually gain approval and approach Lucasfilm.

posted 08-28-2007 11:52 PM               

Although I am sure their kids take interest in what they do, they probably don't understand it too much. But, when you can tell your kid you helped Luke's lightsaber take a ride into space on the shuttle, I'll bet their ears would perk up big time. If it helps lighten the mood around NASA and give them something to talk about other then topics that are either work related or something that looks more like a tabloid front page headline, I say go for it.

posted 08-29-2007 07:10 AM               

NASA has enough of a PR problem with their current claim to fame for manned missions being operating a spacebound trucking fleet, a partnership in a manned space station that does little except require repairs and a disturbed female astronaut wearing a diaper while driving across country.

NASA needs to reexamine at what they are doing and how they are perceived by the taxpayers. This is yet another boondoggle.

posted 08-29-2007 02:42 PM               

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Originally posted by tegwilym:
As for the Suni Williams marathon, I'll just say at least it gets the public's attention to the space program.

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To clarify, I have no problem with Suni running the marathon and I think some coverage of the event is just fine. But it really irked me that when I went to the ISS website a few months back, I found four links on the home page to coverage of the marathon, but NO links that actually pointed me to a page that discussed what science (if any) is being conducted on the ISS. I had to dig deep to find anything that even remotely touched upon the scientific aspects of the mission.

I prefer there to be a balance. Lightsabers are fine as long as NASA takes time to attempt to convey what the new module will do for the ISS and how it will be employed. If all the tax-paying public sees are marathons and lightsabers, they may be less willing to support NASA programs in the future.

posted 08-29-2007 02:52 PM               

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Originally posted by mjanovec:
But I think many can appreciate the science it produces without needing to see those images.

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The same is essentially true for the ISS. While everyone likes to hear about the science being conducted, the public really doesn't care about that. If they did, the promise of such science would be enough to generate support. What motivates the public are the pretty images of Earth and the video of astronauts doing things in space that they can directly relate to on the ground (like eating M&Ms and playing with a baseball).

I would love it if the public would embrace a deeper understanding of why we explore space, but that interest has never materialized (not even during Apollo, as evident by the steep decline in interest after the first moon landing).

posted 08-29-2007 04:44 PM               

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
The images are alone what sells the telescope's value to public, as they believe the images are the science.

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For anyone with even a remote interest in Astronomy, they will know that the Hubble has essentially re-written astronomy textbooks since it has been put into service. Again, one doesn't need pretty pictures to appreciate that.

In contrast, I challenge most people to name one significant scientific experiment performed on the ISS. It's not that I necessarily doubt important science is taking place aboard the ISS (or may someday take place there), it's that the general public is likely to never hear anything about it (even if they WANT to hear about it). Why isn't NASA making a greater effort to talk about what they are using the ISS for? As a human spaceflight enthusiast myself, I would like to know more about why we are building the ISS and what we're going to do with it once it's "complete" (other than abandon it, which seems to be our current plan). If a spaceflight enthusiast is sometimes left to wonder what's going on with the ISS, the average person doesn't stand a chance.

posted 08-29-2007 05:04 PM               

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Originally posted by mjanovec:
As an optical instrument, the whole foundation of the Hubble is based on the images it provides. There is indeed science in those images... even the pretty ones.

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quote:

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For anyone with even a remote interest in Astronomy, they will know that the Hubble has essentially re-written astronomy textbooks since it has been put into service.

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In contrast, I challenge most people to name one significant scientific experiment performed on the ISS.

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I don't need spaceflight dumbed-down to make me interested in it. Nor should I think it be dumbed-down for the general public. Perhaps I'm alone in this, but I was more inspired watching Story Musgrave fix the Hubble than I will ever be by knowing a film prop is flying somewhere aboard the shuttle.

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posted 08-29-2007 05:06 PM               

The ISS is a boondoggle in every sense. The crew size averages only enough to keep the station running, not doing anything else.

The US should not be involve in the ISS IMHO. If the Russians want to open a space hotel and charge billionaires to stay, i should be done without the American taxpayer footing the bulk of the bill.

posted 08-29-2007 05:11 PM               

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Originally posted by jimsz:
But the shuttle and the ISS are simply seen and for the most are only work horses, akin to a semi truck.

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The crew size averages only enough to keep the station running, not doing anything else.

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posted 08-29-2007 05:18 PM               

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
Is flying a lightsaber that much different than Story Musgrave (and crew) filming a segment for the TV sitcom "Tool Time" on that same Hubble repair mission?

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To be perfectly honest, I have never seen more than highlight reels of Story's spacewalk. Yet I found that repair mission inspirational at a time in my life when I wasn't following the shuttle very much at all. To me, this accomplishment was simply amazing...and was one of the things that really re-energized my interest in human spaceflight. To me, it's the kind of thing NASA needs to promote more of.

posted 08-29-2007 06:27 PM            

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Originally posted by Robert:
NASA choosing to fly the lightsaber is, I suspect, an attempt to reach out to the average American by recognizing a part of the culture they all share and enjoy.

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posted 08-29-2007 09:02 PM               

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
And is operational experience in maintaining space facilities (and the human body) for long durations a useless skill? Won't we need this experience if we want to operate a base on the Moon or Mars?

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You forgot a word: "now". In 2009, the crew expands to six, enabling full time science.

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posted 08-29-2007 09:39 PM               

Why should we be getting bent out of shape about the Lightsaber now? Nasa's policies about flying stuff like this have been clear cut to my knowledge and no backhanded deals were made to get this done (except for the idea maybe coming from guys on NASA's side who wanted to make it happen and them getting in touch with LFL to do it).

If people are going to get bent out of shape over it, using the crap related to Nowak that has been going on for the past year as an excuse NOT to fly it, then it truely is PC gone amuck. Why should policy change in the interest of not wanting to attract a bad publicity backlash from it, just because it happens to be occuring within a year of a certain former astronaut doing something REALLY stupid? I say Fly it!

This could potentially bring in some good PR that can't be achieved elsewhere. Its not NASA's fault that the general public is too fickle to recognize when things are being done in their best interests and they would rather focus on what some might describe as a publicity stunt. Granted some things could be adjusted to help with that on the websites, but that would still wouldn't do much as most of the general public just pass this stuff by and still don't care one way or the other.

In my own situation, I was too young to remember Apollo at all from that period, except for what footage aired on episodes of "Six Million Dollar Man" and PBS shows. So Star Wars was a BIG inspiration to me when it hit the screens in 1977. I am not the only one either as SW probably acted as a similar springboard for others who started their own space dreams at that time, much in the same fashion that Star Trek did a decade earlier.

posted 08-30-2007 10:36 AM               

If flying an artifact from one of Americas (or the worlds) greatest culture icons helps spark dreams, then we should be flying more....

posted 08-30-2007 11:11 AM               

For each flight, list the specs of 1,2, whatever # items, and have people enter their name for a drawing to fly their item.

I think that would excite more people and have the general public show more interest.

posted 08-30-2007 11:24 AM               

With regards to what can be flown in the OFK, it's spelled out in the Federal Code: Title 14, Volume 5, Part 1214.6: Mementos Aboard Space Shuttle Flights. Specifically, "Items carried in an OFK or a PPK will not be... used or transferred for personal gain," which limits NASA from using what they fly as lottery awards, even if the "tickets" are free.

That said, I agree -- I would love it if NASA would fly items for the public, and in the months prior to the loss of Columbia, that possibility came closer to being a reality. Unfortunately, the accident canceled such ideas.

posted 08-30-2007 04:35 PM               

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
I'm not sure what this fascination is with taxpayers, as it suggests that George Lucas, Lucasfilms' employees, and/or Lucasfilm itself doesn't pay taxes as well.

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quote:

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Specifically, "Items carried in an OFK or a PPK will not be... used or transferred for personal gain," which limits NASA from using what they fly as lottery awards, even if the "tickets" are free.

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If profit were not allowed there would not be so many items being auctioned from Astronaut PPK kits.

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I just don't see why it has to be either/or: what does flying the lightsaber have to do with flying items for the public?

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posted 08-30-2007 04:46 PM               

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Originally posted by jimsz:
If profit were not allowed there would not be so many items being auctioned from Astronaut PPK kits.

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posted 08-30-2007 08:49 PM               

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
And as already mentioned, this wasn't their idea, it was NASA's and it falls into a long history of flying items for organizations that have served to inspire the public about space exploration (past flights have carried items for the National Space Society, Space Camp, Star Trek and Disney, to name just a few).

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posted 10-19-2007 02:04 PM               

Astronaut Jim Reilly accepts Luke Skywalker's Jedi lightsaber from R2D2 on
NASA's behalf at Kennedy Space Center.

Jedi Lightsaber From Return of the Jedi Ready For Launch; Discovery Astronauts To Receive Best Wishes from Star Wars Fans

Luke Skywalker's original Jedi lightsaber, the famous movie prop from the Star Wars saga is now aboard space shuttle Discovery as it waits for its scheduled October 23rd launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

The Jedi lightsaber has been carefully stowed aboard Discovery and will fly into space with the seven STS-120 astronauts to the International Space Station before returning to Earth 14 days later to mark the legendary film's 30th anniversary.

During the two-week mission, Star Wars fans will be able to leave their best wishes to the space shuttle astronauts at www.starwars.com, the official Star Wars website. Lucasfilm Ltd. is expecting greetings from around the world which will be collected online and placed onto a CD, which will be presented to the space shuttle astronauts at the official public debriefing at NASA's Space Center Houston after their return.

The Jedi lightsaber, which appeared in Return of the Jedi, will also make its way back to NASA's Space Center Houston once Discovery returns to Earth. "The Jedi lightsaber will have traveled more than six million miles in space after this mission," says Roger Bornstein, Marketing Director for Space Center Houston. "And we'll have the honor of displaying this flown movie artifact once it returns." The Jedi lightsaber will be part of a new exhibit at Space Center Houston that will showcase a small collection of famous Star Wars movie props and a full-size X-wing starfighter through Jan. 1.

Lucasfilm officially handed the Jedi lightsaber to NASA's Space Center Houston on August 28 during a special ceremony at the Oakland International Airport complete with Star Wars characters including Chewbacca, Boba Fett and Jedi Knights. The movie artifact was flown to Houston and received a warm welcome from stormtroopers, R2-D2 and C-3PO who were surrounded by a large group of Star Wars fans. The Jedi lightsaber was taken by police escort to Space Center Houston where it was on display for several days before making its way to Florida and secured aboard space shuttle Discovery.

The Star Wars lightsaber packaged for spaceflight.