Death Star misrepresentation?

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-01-09 03:58am

I don't think this is something to really get worked up about, but should they really be considered "battle stations"? Death Star I zipped around the galaxy on hyper-drive, and manouvered around the Yavin system quite deftly at sub-light. I'm assuming that DSII was similarly perambulatory.

Isn't a station stationary by definition?
Weren't they mislabeled ships?
Has this been brought up before?

XaLEv · Post by **XaLEv** » 2003-01-09 04:02am

Yes, though mere 'ship' would seem to be a bit inaccurate too. Planetoid(in the Weber sense) is better, IMO.

nightmare · Post by **nightmare** » 2003-01-09 09:35am

How about "Big Ball Kill-O-Death"?

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » 2003-01-09 11:47am

nightmare wrote:How about "Big Ball Kill-O-Death"?

Personally I prefer Vader's designation for it: "Technological Terror"

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2003-01-09 12:29pm

"Happy Fun Ball"

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-01-09 12:42pm

"Bouncy-Beach-Ball-Of-Death"

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2003-01-09 12:54pm

Hey, its the Trektards who obsess over terminology. Don't worry about these things.

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2003-01-09 01:30pm

See in Star Wars we have laser that can't possibly be real lasers and were damn proud of it.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-01-09 01:51pm

Is the ISS stationary or is it orbiting the earth orbitting the sun?

I think space states are by definition spaceships without the ability to significantly alter their orbit around a star or movement through interstellar space. Since anything in the starwars universe can be equipped with engines powerful enough to escape most any gravitational field, its likely that theres no longer any such thing as a space station, but rather "Temporarilly Stationary Spaceships"

BenRG · Post by **BenRG** » 2003-01-09 06:27pm

Suggested nickname for the Death Star: "Magic 8-Ball O' Doom".

Back on topic...

kojikun wrote:Since anything in the starwars universe can be equipped with engines powerful enough to escape most any gravitational field, its likely that theres no longer any such thing as a space station, but rather "Temporarilly Stationary Spaceships"

Interesting theory. However, although they could be fitted with a stardrive or sub-light engines, I doubt that they would. And it isn't only in the Star Wars that you can do this. Remember that DS9 went off on an interplanetary jaunt in a technobabble bubble. You could also dock a Salut-derived booster module onto the back of the ISS and send it off to Mars so long as you didn't accelerate faster than the tolerance of the lateral hard-dock ports and the truss segments.

However, in my view, a space station is a pressurised space vehicle not originally intended to significantly change its' orbit or location in its' forseeable designed lifespan. That is true of all space stations, be they RL, ST or SW.

The Death Star was designed from the outset to be able to travel between widely-spread star systems in a short period of time. It could also radically change its' orbit around its' host world du jour. However, it isn't really right to call it a starship. It is a little too large. The Empire probably used the term 'Battle Station' because its' size and firepower put it in the same naval category as Golan III defence platforms. From Obi-Wan and Han Solo's comments when they first saw the DS1, it was obvious that most people had never conceived of a vessel of that size having interstellar flight capability before.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2003-01-09 07:25pm

Call it what you wan't If I ever see that thing over my head I'm going to start praying that nothing green starts powering up.

spongyblue · Post by **spongyblue** » 2003-01-09 11:09pm

"Boogie Ball of ultimate Kabloowee"

Lord Poe · Post by **Lord Poe** » 2003-01-10 11:20pm

Jerry Seinfeld voice:

Whyyyy do they call them "buldings?" Aren't they already complete? Why not call them "builts?"

Whyyy do we say we are going to TAKE a piss? Aren't we LEAVING something behind?

Whyyy is the word "phonics" spelled that way? Shouldn't it be "foniks?"

Alan Bolte · Post by **Alan Bolte** » 2003-01-11 07:39pm

I second 'Happy Fun Ball'
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-01-11 10:18pm

The problem with "Magic 8-Ball of Doom", is that the title insists that if you shake it, you will get a yes or no answer. People would call it a battle station because they'd laugh at the thought of a small moon moving at superlumnal speeds. I would.

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Death Star misrepresentation?

Death Star misrepresentation?

Meditations on the nature of Space Stations