Remember when our space program was something to be proud of?

[Judge Smails]

NASA Shuttle to Launch Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber
(http://www.space.com/entertainment/cs_070828_sts120_lightsaber.html)
Chewbacca, the towering Wookiee best known from the film as Han Solo's co-pilot on the Millennium Falcon, will officially hand the lightsaber over to officials from Space Center Houston during a ceremony at the airport. Joining "Chewie" will be other characters from the six-part sci-fi classic, including Boba and Jango Fett and together they help push back the airplane on the tarmac.

Once on the ground in Houston, the flight will be greeted by a troop of Stormtroopers and other Star Wars notables including the droid R2-D2 (http://www.space.com/entertainment/ap_070316_starwars_mailbox.html), who will deliver the lightsaber to a waiting line of Hummers outside the baggage claim of the William P. Hobby Airport. Accompanied by a police escort, the soon-to-be real space artifact will be driven to Space Center Houston to be exhibited inside a vault that currently displays moon rocks.

[Don Stugots]

"its a trap!"

[marky2bucks]

I'm endangering the mission, I shouldn't have come

[AJDELAWARE]

Between that, Whacky Nowack, and this: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/08/28/nasa.astronauts/index.html

NASA is up shit creek.

[JustJon]

They're taking it in THAT? They're braver than I thought.

[cupcakelove]

I feel some pride every time I think about that lady driving around in diapers.

[Furtherman]

Remember when our space program was something to be proud of?

Well, considering back in the days of the moon landings, the US Government gave NASA they money they needed. Now they're struggling with funds which is why other countries will soon surpass us. This is publicity and I'm sure Lucasfilms gave them a nice chunk of change to make it happen.

Besides, Star Wars is such an iconic part of American culture, I think it's kinda cool.

But the way this government's priorities are all screwed up, one day we'll be able to say, "That's no moon... that's a Chinese Space Station!"

[donnie_darko]

i remember the days when we staged trips to the moon.
those were good days.

[Chigworthy]

Imagine if they put George Lucas in orbit. I wonder how long the jet of viscera from his explosively decompressed gut would get before it froze solid.