When the trailer for Star Wars: Episode 9 — The Rise of Skywalker rolled out a few months ago, we once again got a look at one of the most iconic weapons in cinema.
The Death Star is the Galactic Empire’s ultimate weapon. It is a space station the size of a small moon capable of destroying entire planets. Since appearing in the original Star Wars movie in 1977, the Death Star has remained an object of fascination.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like or what it would take to have a Death Star in real life? Here we investigate the real-life characteristics of the Death Star with comments from professionals:
Costs, according to Economics Students
The entire outer covering or frame of the Death Star is made of quadanium steel, a metallic substance in the Star Wars universe. Using steel as a reference, it is possible to estimate the expenses associated with building a Death Star.
A group of economics students from the University of Lehigh, Pennsylvania decided to investigate how much it would cost to build this massive space station. They first calculated how much steel is needed for the project. They concluded that about 1.08×1015 tonnes of steel are needed to build a Death Star. Fortunately, there is more than enough iron in the earth for what is needed.
But before we go ahead and start producing steel for a Death Star, we should know how much all this will cost. According to their calculation at 2012 prices, building a Death Star will cost 852 quadrillion US Dollars (852 with fifteen zeros). That amount is thousands of times more than all the money in the world. That calculation does not even include costs for labor and materials for the space station’s interior. Yes, building a Death Star will be very expensive.
Design, According to Architects and Engineers
The Death Star has become a symbol of fear and oppression. Trained professionals, however, criticize the Death Star’s design as having obvious design flaws.
A disregard for good design is characteristic of huge corporations. The Galactic Empire, like many large companies, failed to integrate proper ways to manage the design and other development processes. The Empire only cared about building a weapon of intimidation and mass destruction. There was no consideration given to designing spaces that promote efficiency and wellbeing.
This can be seen in how the interior of the Death Star is highly partitioned. The roofspace and floorspace are filled up with shafts, ducts, and vents. Metal seated butterfly valves, which are resistant to extreme heat and pressure, most likely also filled the interior of the Death Star. These materials help the Death Star fire its super laser, but they waste a lot of space and make the interior disorienting. Even stormtroopers get lost within its corridors.
In real life, open spaces that are socially oriented would have helped improve the design of the Death Star. Parks or gardens inside the space station could help reduce the emotional and physical strain experienced by crew members and other personnel. It must be stressful operating a weapon that can wipe out entire civilizations.
Power, According to Astrophysicists
Completely destroying a planet the size of Earth requires an astonishing amount of energy, more than the entire amount the sun emits per second. A weapon like the Death Star would have to find a way to store all that energy. It would also take time to charge the super laser, making it difficult to use it again and again.
Even if there was a way to store all that energy, the Death Star would recoil from the energy released through the super laser. The Death Star would be pushed backward at very high speeds and displaced in the vastness of space.
Astrophysicists present the use of antimatter as an alternative. Antimatter has particles with properties opposite that of normal matter. The contact between matter and antimatter leads to mutual annihilation and the release of vast amounts of energy. If we find a way to store antimatter efficiently, we might be able to develop the destructive power of the Death Star.
Conclusion
Few film franchises have achieved the success and acclaim of Star Wars. It truly has become a cultural phenomenon. Among the many alien species, droids, and otherworldly planets in the Star Wars universe, the image of the Death Star is among the most memorable.
Exploring the real-life characteristics of the Death Star reminds us of what we have yet to achieve through developments in technology. It also represents the potential dangers of excessive power. Comments from professionals on the cost, design, and power of the Death Star help us better understand why it has become so iconic.