US shoots down Death Star superlaser petition

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The White House has rejected a petition to build a Death Star - a huge battle-station armed with a superlaser as seen in the Star Wars films.

In a playful response, a senior US government official said the Obama administration "does not support blowing up planets".

The official also said the cost - about $850 quadrillion - was too high.

More than 34,000 people had signed the petition, saying the project would spur job creation and strengthen defence.

They also wanted the government to begin construction by 2016.

The White House is obliged to respond to all petitions that gain more than 25,000 signatures.
'Force be with us!'

Responding to the petition, Paul Shawcross, head of the administration's budget office on science and space, admitted in a blog that "a Death Star isn't on the horizon".

"However, look carefully and you'll notice something already floating in the sky - that's no Moon, it's a Space Station!

Mr Shawcross was referring to the International Space Station, which currently has six people on board.

And he ended his blog with an appeal to the signatories of the petition: "If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us!

"Remember, the Death Star's power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force."

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"In a playful response, a senior US government official said the Obama administration "does not support blowing up planets"."

Hahahaha.

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This Isn't the Petition Response You're Looking For

By Paul Shawcross

The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:

• The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.
  
• The Administration does not support blowing up planets.
  
• Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?

However, look carefully (here's how) and you'll notice something already floating in the sky -- that's no Moon, it's a Space Station! Yes, we already have a giant, football field-sized International Space Station in orbit around the Earth that's helping us learn how humans can live and thrive in space for long durations. The Space Station has six astronauts -- American, Russian, and Canadian -- living in it right now, conducting research, learning how to live and work in space over long periods of time, routinely welcoming visiting spacecraft and repairing onboard garbage mashers, etc. We've also got two robot science labs -- one wielding a laser -- roving around Mars, looking at whether life ever existed on the Red Planet.

Keep in mind, space is no longer just government-only. Private American companies, through NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO), are ferrying cargo -- and soon, crew -- to space for NASA, and are pursuing human missions to the Moon this decade.

Even though the United States doesn't have anything that can do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, we've got two spacecraft leaving the Solar System and we're building a probe that will fly to the exterior layers of the Sun. We are discovering hundreds of new planets in other star systems and building a much more powerful successor to the Hubble Space Telescope that will see back to the early days of the universe.

We don't have a Death Star, but we do have floating robot assistants on the Space Station, a President who knows his way around a light saber and advanced (marshmallow) cannon, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is supporting research on building Luke's arm, floating droids, and quadruped walkers.

We are living in the future! Enjoy it. Or better yet, help build it by pursuing a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field. The President has held the first-ever White House science fairs and Astronomy Night on the South Lawn because he knows these domains are critical to our country's future, and to ensuring the United States continues leading the world in doing big things.

If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us! Remember, the Death Star's power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force.

Paul Shawcross is Chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget

quote walnuts

quote Ded Valve

To be fair though that exploit requires someone extremely powerful in the force and that's like what? 1 in a billion? I say go for it, besides we can always just cover it up with a plank or something.

So that leaves 7-8 people that could still blow it up D:

Like someone said earlier, it's great when politicians have a sense of humour from time to time, and taking the time to respond to this petition has garnered a lot of good will amongst those who read it, in addition to letting the American public know that the Government actually does read these things!