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Fans who grew up with the OT-Do any of you actually prefer the PT? Should darth maul have died? What plotline, character or scene in the entire Saga irritates you the most? The misconceptions you had about Star Wars, when you were a kid There are no polls currently operating in this sector. Please check back soon. View Poll Archives Luke's Lightsaber Blasts Off To Outer Space Posted By Mike on October 27, 2007 From the press release from Spotlight Communications: As Star Wars celebrates its 30th Anniversary, Luke Skywalker’s original Jedi lightsaber will head into space with NASA astronauts on the space shuttle DISCOVERY in October. Chewbacca will officially hand the lightsaber over to NASA’s Space Center Houston during a ceremony at the Oakland International Airport. The ceremony will include characters from a galaxy far, far away including Boba Fett, Jango Fett, X-Wing, Jedi, and Stormtroopers. This will be followed by a spectacular departure aboard a Southwest Airlines flight as Chewbacca and his galactic friends help push back the airplane on the tarmac. Once the flight lands in Houston, Stormtroopers will help escort the lightsaber off the plane as R2-D2 and other famous Star Wars characters kick-off the second half of the celebration at gate # 47 in William P. Hobby Airport. The fanfare will conclude outside baggage claim where the lightsaber will be transported by a caravan of Hummers with an official City of Webster police escort to NASA’s Space Center Houston where it will be secured inside the lunar vault. (until it's trip into space) The lightsaber departs at 10 a.m. PST from the Oakland Intl Airport on August 28th. It will arrive at 4:20 pm CST at the Houston Hobby Airport. Click here for a post at SciFi.com. Thanks to Julie K. from Spotlight Communications for the press release and to friend of TFN, Bradley R., for the SciFi.com link. UPDATE: Matthew T. writes in with the following amazing story! This morning, me, along with 3 members of the Rebel Legion (Endor Base) and 4 from the 501st (Golden Gate Garrison) got to present, along with LFL's Chewbacca, Luke's lightsaber from ROTJ to NASA to be on board space shuttle STS-120, which will launch Oct. 23. We even signed a note to the astronauts and enclosed our respective patches from the Rebel Legion and the 501st to be given to the astronauts. It was truly an honor to participate in this historic event! Sounds awesome Matt, thanks for sharing! UPDATE #2: Check out some pics from Houston below sent to us from friend of TFN, Patrick. Big thanks to him for the pics! You can also click here to visit collectSPACE.com for some more pics over at that site. Thanks to Robert at collectSPACE.com for the link and thanks to Richard K. for the heads up. UPDATE #3: Click here and head over to CNN.com for a video of the festivities. Thanks to friend of TFN, my dad, for the link. UPDATE #4: Friend of TFN, Mathew T. sent us in a couple of new links. See below and enjoy: Click here for a video at kutv.com. Click here and go to flickr.com for some pics by Lucasfilm's Bonnie Burton. Thanks to Mathew! UPDATE #5: See below for the press release from Space Center Houston: Blast Off! Star Wars Jedi Lightsaber Launches! "Luke Skywalker's original Jedi lightsaber, the famous movie prop from the Star Wars saga is now aboard space shuttle Discovery as it embarks on an historic mission! Launched moments ago from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Jedi lightsaber has been carefully stowed away in the cargo hold and has begun it's journey to the International Space Station before returning to Earth in 14 days to mark the legendary film's 30 th anniversary. 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 collection of famous Star Wars movie props and a full-size X-wing starfighter through Jan. 1. Lucasfilm officially handed the Jedi lightsaber to Space Center Houston on August 28 during a ceremony at the Oakland International Airport and was flown to Houston and received a warm welcome from Star Wars characters including Chewbacca, Boba Fett and Jedi Knights 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 before making its way to Florida and secured about space shuttle Discovery. Lucasfilm, STAR WARS, Lightsaber and related character names and properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners." UPDATE #6: Not noted in the release above is the time of lift-off. According to numerous sources (click here for an article at CNN.com), the space Shuttle Discovery took off at 11:38 a.m. today. Do I really need to rattle off the significance of that number? We're all on the same page giving imaginary "hi fives" to each other, right? Thanks to Alex S. and Brad G. for the heads up. UPDATE #7: Click here and leave a message for the 7 astronaughts who are escorting Lukes lightsaber aboard the Discovery over at spacecenter.org. According to the site: "Your message to the space shuttle crew will be collected online and placed onto a CD, which will be presented to the astronauts at the official public debriefing at NASA's Space Center Houston after their return." Thanks to "Captain Sith Park" for the link. UPDATE #8: Friend of TFN, Robert P., from collectSPACE.com sent in the following: "A brief update, if of interest: now that the lightsaber is in space, we have published the complete manifest and interviews with the shuttle crew about the other commemorative items on-board Discovery. The article includes a quote from George Lucas regarding the lightsaber: Lightsaber leads list of mission mementos The STS-120 crew chooses contents of Official Flight Kit Many know about the Star Wars lightsaber stashed on Discovery for the STS-120 mission (though they may not know of George Lucas' safety tip to the crew) but what of the other mementos that are packed in the Official Flight Kit (OFK), in the personal preference kits and flight data file slots? For example, do they know about the Panama Canal medals, Beethoven's sheet music or the baseball card for a boyhood hero? The crew of STS-120 spoke to collectSPACE about their own selections for the souvenirs they have for their supporters." http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-102607a.html Also, collectSPACE.com and StarWars.com are now accepting questions for the crew of STS-120. Click here to check it out. Thanks Robert! Related Stories November 5, 2007   Welcome Luke's Lightsaber Back From Space email this story discuss in forums Select Date 2009, November 2009, October 2009, September 2009, August 2009, July 2009, June 2009, May 2009, April 2009, March 2009, February 2009, January 2008, December 2008, November 2008, October 2008, September 2008, August 2008, July 2008, June 2008, May 2008, April 2008, March 2008, February 2008, January 2007, December 2007, November 2007, October 2007, September 2007, August 2007, July 2007, June 2007, May 2007, April 2007, March 2007, February 2007, January 2006, December 2006, November 2006, October 2006, September 2006, August 2006, July 2006, June 2006, May 2006, April 2006, March 2006, February 2006, January 2005, December 2005, November 2005, October 2005, September 2005, August 2005, July 2005, June 2005, May 2005, April 2005, March 2005, February 2005, January 2004, December 2004, November 2004, October 2004, September 2004, August 2004, July 2004, June 2004, May 2004, April 2004, March 2004, February 2004, January 2003, December 2003, November 2003, October 2003, September 2003, August 2003, July 2003, June 2003, May 2003, April 2003, March 2003, February 2003, January 2002, December 2002, November 2002, October 2002, September 2002, August 2002, July 2002, June 2002, May 2002, April 2002, March 2002, February 2002, January 2001, December 2001, November 2001, October 2001, September 2001, August 2001, July 2001, June 2001, May 2001, April 2001, March 2001, February 2001, January 2000, December 2000, November 2000, October 2000, September 2000, August 2000, July 2000, June 2000, May 2000, April 2000, March 2000, February 2000, January 1999, December 1999, November 1999, October 1999, September 1999, August 1999, July 1999, June 1999, May 1999, April 1999, March 1999, February 1999, January 1998, December 1998, November 1998, October 1998, September 1998, August 1998, July 1998, June 1998, May 1998, April 1998, March 1998, February Gentle Giant R2-D2 Statue Posted By Chris on November 7, 2009: Three years in the making! 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