Star Wars – Speed of the Death Star?

JOE SOAP · 12 February, 2009, 03:20:30 PM

Quote from: "TheEdge"Your missing the SMALL PRINT.

The Death star is not a SHIP>>>>>>>>>

it's no moon either.

One man's ship is another man's battlestation.

House of Usher · 12 February, 2009, 03:29:32 PM

'Not a ship', true, but it has a means of propulsion, travels through a frictionless environment, and must be able to achieve considerable speeds to be useful as a weapon, since it has to travel vast distances of space to get close enough to target planets to threaten or vaporize them. Imagine if it took a year to travel the length of just one sun's planetary system!

Another problem that made me wonder recently - in Space 1999, just how fast is the moon supposed to be tumbling through uncharted space? Fast enough to be menaced by a different alien threat each week, as in Voyager, but not so fast that the Eagle craft flying missions can't then catch up with it again? I can't even begin to work it out. How many times faster than the moon is the cruising speed of an Eagle craft? Why didn't they just evacuate the moon in the first episode?

WoD · 12 February, 2009, 03:48:19 PM

Geek - Over load me thinks....

in SPACE 1999 - wouldn't the speed be relative as long as the ships didn't go to a stationary object (relative to the moon that is) If everything they encounter is moving relative to the moon then the speed difference is not so much.

JOE SOAP · 12 February, 2009, 03:50:06 PM

Quote from: "House of Usher"Another problem that made me wonder recently - in Space 1999, just how fast is the moon supposed to be tumbling through uncharted space?

as fast as the theme music.

Richmond Clements · 12 February, 2009, 04:09:38 PM

QuoteHow many times faster than the moon is the cruising speed of an Eagle craft? Why didn't they just evacuate the moon in the first episode?

I love you for this, Ush!

Lobo Baggins · 12 February, 2009, 04:24:10 PM

Fools! All fictional space craft (except the boring proper science-type ones) move at the Speed of Plot - in other words, they go as fast as they need to go in order to get to the place they need to be in order for the Plot to happen that week. Thus, the Death Star moves only just fast enough for the Rebellion to have formulated a plan to defend against its attack, but not slow enough for them to have made a proper evacuation. This also accounts for the anomalies in Voyager, where, despite being the fastest ship in the Federation, they were regularly overtaken by the 'technologically primitive' Kazon race and that Cardassian woman for two or three years.

the shutdown man · 12 February, 2009, 04:33:42 PM

Quote from: "Lobo Baggins"This also accounts for the anomalies in Voyager, where, despite being the fastest ship in the Federation, they were regularly overtaken by the 'technologically primitive' Kazon race and that Cardassian woman for two or three years.

Let's not even get into the episode where Tom Paris went so fast in a shuttlecraft that he evolved into a fish.

JOE SOAP · 12 February, 2009, 04:38:50 PM

Quote from: "the shutdown man"Let's not even get into the episode where Tom Paris went so fast in a shuttlecraft that he evolved into a fish.

Let's face it, there are risks. Don't forget your towel.

Goaty · 12 February, 2009, 04:41:23 PM

What about Spaceballs?

QuoteColonel Sandurz: Prepare ship for light speed.
Dark Helmet: No, no, no, light speed is too slow.
Colonel Sandurz: Light speed, too slow?
Dark Helmet: Yes, we're gonna have to go right to ludicrous speed.
Colonel Sandurz: Prepare ship for ludicrous speed! Fasten all seatbelts, seal all entrances and exits, close all shops in the mall, cancel the three ring circus, secure all animals in the zoo!
Colonel Sandurz: Sir hadn't you better buckle up?
Dark Helmet: AH! BUCKLE THIS! Ludicrous speed GO!
[upon going into "ludicrous speed"]
Dark Helmet: My brains are going into my feet!
Dark Helmet: [as the ship is going into ludicrous speed] Colonel, stop this thing!
Colonel Sandurz: We can't stop, it's too dangerous! We have to slow down first!
Dark Helmet: BULLSHIT! Stop this thing! I order you, *STOP*!

Is that fast enough?

Lobo Baggins · 12 February, 2009, 05:27:22 PM

Quote from: "the shutdown man"Let's not even get into the episode where Tom Paris went so fast in a shuttlecraft that he evolved into a fish.

Ah, well - a prime example of Speed of Plot. Paris clearly hit the speed that turns Tom Paris into a fish, a velocity unlikely to be hit in any other episode or series, unless they wanted to (which is, admittedly, unlikely). Anyway, the likes of the Borg were able to move at greater speeds (when the Plot demanded it, naturally), so I'm sure that Star Fleet could come up with some sort of anti-turning-Tom-Paris-into-a-fish Field if they really wanted to.

In any case, the first five series of Voyager are seriously hampered by a lack of Jeri Ryan's Boobs. Fortunately, the mistake was rectified by the addition of Jeri Ryan's Boobs to the cast and all the boring characters (ie, everyone except the Doctor) ceased to appear much.

House of Usher · 12 February, 2009, 06:58:32 PM

Really, we had to wait 5 whole series for that?? Gosh - it seemed not nearly so long at the time!

vzzbux · 12 February, 2009, 07:19:15 PM

There is no real time frame between the falcon leaving the Death star and the Death Star arriving in the Yavin system in the film.
By the time it had arrived the rebels has formulated a plan of attack and were semi-prepared for assault.
Question answered maybe?

V

Tweak72 · 12 February, 2009, 07:58:42 PM

//http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Death_Star

this link may help answer your questions

Colin YNWA · 13 February, 2009, 10:33:58 AM

If you're talking confusing time lines in Star Wars films the one that lways got me was in Empire. Now I might be exposing compete ignorance it the one thing that lways bugged me about Empire is that Luke seems to do this entire Jedi training (well clearly not entire as he doesn't finish but hopefully you get my point) from finding Yoda to lifting an X-Wing during the time that Han and co are being chased by the Empire and maybe the first day or so on Bespin. Now either Luke gets from nowt to Jedi in about a three days OR Han and Leia really took a long time shaking that Star Destoryer.... or I missed something and I'm about to get laughed at?

TordelBack · 13 February, 2009, 11:37:37 AM

Quote...during the time that Han and co are being chased by the Empire and maybe the first day or so on Bespin. Now either Luke gets from nowt to Jedi in about a three days OR Han and Leia really took a long time shaking that Star Destoryer....

You're not missing anything. However, I can offer you two factoids to help you come to terms with all this.

One: Thanks to the Prequesl, Luke is now at least 1/4 Midichlorian (there, I said it), so all bets are off as to how fast he can 'master' the Force.

Two: The Falcon is travelling without hyperdrive from Hoth to Anoat (the asteroids) to Bespin. Now, I always assumed that these must be places in the same solar system, and when the chaps and chapesses talk about 'the Bespin system' they mean planetary sub-systems (moons around a gas giant etc.), but a painful read through Wookieepedia will inform you that 'canonically' (hiss, spit) these are separate star systems, reached on sub-light engines alone. So the real question must be, how many years was Luke on Dagobah?