why is NASA spending are tax money to seind Luck skywalker's Life saber in to space?

Answer 1

It's a publicity trick and a pretty poor one at that.
It isn't costing NASA anything to do this because it is being carried in a small comparment that is normally wasted space.

The space shuttle has a compartment that can carry only a few odds and ends. For years each NASA astronaut on a shuttle mission is allowed to carry two items aboard. Most of these items are carried only to say they have been in space. Astronauts have carried patches from their military units, written notes, small trinkets, keepsakes and mementos that have little intrinsic value; but because they have been in space they take on value.

This is the same idea. Of course I know collectors who would pay millions to own that light saber. Having it go into space only makes it more valuable. Then when it is say put into a museum it becomes a valuable addition of not just a cultural phenomena, but as an object that has gone into space.

In 70 or 80 years few people are going to remember Star Wars, unless it is released or it takes that long for George Lucas to do the other 3 chapters he promised. The light saber of Luke Skywalker was a prop made from an old style flash attachment for an old camera that was popular 25 years ago. By itself it has little value, as the movie prop it has much more value, but that value is as limited as the story’s life. By taking it into space it suddenly becomes a relic; not a very good relic, not a very important one, but a relic none the less.

Carrying the light saber into space will be a small cost that is usually donated to use by the astronauts because every shuttle mission has a little wiggle room and a little extra space in it. It will not compromise any of the shuttle’s missions and it will not replace any valuable cargo that should have gone up. The space where it is carried is normally waste space anyway.

I think that something else of more value could be carried into space, but I don’t have a problem with this little toy. It won’t mean anything and it does raise NASA’s public image in the eyes of some of the biggest fans of space travel. It made the national news and things like the fact that both Mars rovers are nearing the end of their life’s haven’t made the national news. The fact that the optical instruments on the Mars Rovers and the critical solar cells have been damaged by sand storms during the Martian Winter is almost unknown except for a few. Millions of people will recognize that NASA is going some where and doing something because of this mission.

Answer 2

Because Lucasfilms, Inc. and other advertisers gave them millions of dollars to do it. Fact is, it's stupid. NASA is always bitching about "Space Junk". Be wonderful if Lukes phoney "light saber" punched through the ISS at 28,000 m.p.h. and brought the wreck crashing through the atmosphere and landed on the White House.

Answer 3

If they have an alternative purpose for going the saber is just getting a free ride.

Answer 4

Because NASA is fund by our government. Always spending money on worthwhile causes.

Answer 5

so they can go up into pitch black space and just look at stuff, WOW what a waste of money in my opinion, but they never find anything, just be better to depend on those little machines up there

Answer 6

Because NASA wants information as we know familiar there are nine major planets,no there are thousands of planets around the galaxy6 no one know how big is our galaxy NASA use money to discover questions that needs answers they gather information to let the people knows

Answer 7

>So the lifesaber won't fall into the wrong hands.
We don't want any demented Jedi getting a hold of it and setting out to clear the internet of idiots.<

Answer 8

I dont think they would be sending something so insignifacant by itself. It would be just a tiny part of a much larger mission.

Answer 9

HHAHAHAHHAH becuase its fun to blow money. especially when it can be used for better things. i think nasa is prolly just bored lol.