Star Wars Saber Bound For Space Edit
NASA To Take The Force

Don’t underestimate The Force. Just in time to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, Luke Skywalker’s iconic light saber is being launched into orbit. This October, NASA will send the original 1977 film prop aboard the Discovery shuttle.

“NASA has a long history of bringing mementos from Earth aboard space shuttles to drum up interest for the sometimes painfully slow process of constructing the orbiting International Space Station,” CBC news reports. “In June the space shuttle Atlantis returned to Earth with an artifact from the 17th-century American settlement of Jamestown to celebrate 400th anniversary of its founding.”

Unfortunately, that’s not even as geeky as it gets. collectSPACE is the ultimate nerd site, and they’re offering all the details:

“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.”

May the force be with them.