Luke's Saber Heading to Space

Luke Skywalker's light saber from the original 'Star Wars' is headed where no lightsaber has gone before. In fact, it may be headed where no movie prop has gone before. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the movie, NASA has agreed to take the saber on the next space flight of the shuttle 'Discovery'. Chewbacca handed the prop (they claim it's the actual prop used for filming) to NASA at the Houston Space Center. R2D2 will be on had to receive it when 'Discovery' returns. Video of the hand off is here. I'll bet the guy that first sold that old Graflex tube would get a kick out of this story.

Scientists Exceed the Speed of Light

A pair of German physicists claim to have exceeded the speed of light - an achievement that would undermine our entire understanding of space and time.

Investigating a phenomenon called quantum tunnelling, which allows sub-atomic particles to break apparently unbreakable laws, the two Scientists conducted an experiment using energetic packets of light called "microwave photons". Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz, say that they made these packets of light travel a distance of 3 feet instantaneously.

If this is verified to be true, expect this violation of the special theory of relatively to open a whole new world of possibilities. While the theory behind "warp drive" in 'Star Trek' isn't necessarily the same kind of technology, it is still interesting to see another "Trek-like" possibility come to life. As Stephen Hawking's character in Star Trek The Next Generation episode "Descent" would say, "Wrong again, Albert!"

Mysteries of the ObiWan ANH Saber Finally Revealed

October 18, 2005

By PropMaster - Staff Writer

For over 25 years prop nerds have been trying to identify the components used to create Obi-Wan Kenobi's saber as seen in "Star Wars - A New Hope". The pommel was identified a while back as being a sink faucet knob. The "grenade" looking piece was identified as being, well, a grenade. A British made MK3, rifle grenade used in WWI.

But, the "gear" portion and the "emitter" portion remained a mystery- until now. Some of our very perceptive friends at the RFP have identified both components. The "emitter", it turns out, is a part from a Derwent 8 or 9 jet engine. The "gear" is actually a recoil booster from a .30 caliber AN-M2 (British) Browning machine gun.

Good work guys!

Shown below is a pic of the Master Replicas ROTS Obi Saber.

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