Summary of the Death Star

[Jedi Master Spock]

What is known?

• Only one fully functional Death Star was ever completed by the Empire.
• Scaling of this object varies. It is universally accepted to be between 60 and 350 kilometers in diameter, and most commonly scaled to 120 or 160 km.
• The Death Star has a maximum sublight acceleration less than or equal to 10 g.
• The Death Star uses a superlaser, which induces an explosive chain reaction in a target planet, blowing it up energetically.
• The Death Star has a large magnetic shield, through which shielded objects with thrusters may be flown.
• The Death Star's hull is not protected by any other shields.
• The Death Star has a host of small manually operated defense turrets with limited accuracy (see later point).
• The Death Star may rotate with an angular acceleration between 30-300 microradians per second squared.
• The Death Star can travel through hyperspace.
• From assembled spaceframe to completion was twenty years. Construction of the spaceframe is unknown, but the design had been mostly finalized two years previusly.
• It has long range tractor beams (range on the order of hundreds of km).
• Attacked by thirty one enemy small craft, Death Star defenses were able to down 27, or 87%. Most of these kills were achieved by TIE fighters.
• A critical weakness allowed a reactor overload.
• This reactor overload was orders of magnitude less energetic than a superlaser hit on a planet.
• Descriptions within the EU vary wildly.

[Kane Starkiller]

Scaling of this object varies. It is universally accepted to be between 60 and 350 kilometers in diameter, and most commonly scaled to 120 or 160 km.

60km figure does not come from scaling but from a early blueprints. No scaling points to a size lesser than 120km.

The Death Star uses a superlaser, which induces an explosive chain reaction in a target planet, blowing it up energetically.

You provided no evidence for a chain reaction.

The Death Star has a host of small manually operated defense turrets with limited accuracy (see later point).

Limited against small starfighters.

The Death Star may rotate with an angular acceleration between 30-300 microradians per second squared.

Incomplete Death Star 2 could do so. Incomplete vessels are not a reliable benchmark for capabilities of completed ships.

Descriptions within the EU vary wildly.

Specify.

[Mr. Oragahn]

You provided no evidence for a chain reaction.

It's called Death Star, a recent EU book. It has most bizarre effects and, among other things, even mentions a chain reaction going on.

Considering that you're obviously showing problems to follow the discussion in the appropriate thread, I take you by the hand and show you the link:

Here

Drag the cursor over the word "here" and click with the left mouse button. See you there.

[Jedi Master Spock]

60km figure does not come from scaling but from a early blueprints. No scaling points to a size lesser than 120km.

Actually, some scaling techniques applied to the DS2 produce small sizes, which indicate then a <120km DS1, but yes, the 60 km figure comes from blueprints.

>160km for the Death Star is similarly rare.

You provided no evidence for a chain reaction.

I have, as have others. Mr. Oragahn has pointed this out in his post above.

Limited against small starfighters.

And also against the Falcon.

Limited accuracy it is, by all indications.

Incomplete Death Star 2 could do so. Incomplete vessels are not a reliable benchmark for capabilities of completed ships.

The incomplete Death Star 2 doing so is the only reason why we might choose to allow an entire order of magnitude of leeway from the actual observed rotation speed of the Death Star.

Specify.

The above was a summary, not a comprehensive catalog.

[Kane Starkiller]

I have, as have others. Mr. Oragahn has pointed this out in his post above.

No you haven't. You claimed repeatedly that certain explosion artifacts point to a chain reaction without explaining how or why.

And also against the Falcon.

Limited accuracy it is, by all indications.

Which isn't much bigger than a starship and certainly smaller and more maneuverable than any capital ship.

The incomplete Death Star 2 doing so is the only reason why we might choose to allow an entire order of magnitude of leeway from the actual observed rotation speed of the Death Star.

I still await evidence for the DS2 engine completion stage. I also note the contradiction in your original post in which you state that only one fully functional Death Star was built but then continue to use the second as benchmark.

The above was a summary, not a comprehensive catalog.

It provided no information whatsoever since we don't know what you mean by "wildly".

[Roondar]

I have, as have others. Mr. Oragahn has pointed this out in his post above.

No you haven't. You claimed repeatedly that certain explosion artifacts point to a chain reaction without explaining how or why.

You know, you can't ignore parts of the EU because they don't say what you want.

[Jedi Master Spock]

No you haven't. You claimed repeatedly that certain explosion artifacts point to a chain reaction without explaining how or why.

Actually, I've concentrated more on the how and the why. Others prefer the explosion VFX, but I prefer to take VFX with a grain of salt.

Which isn't much bigger than a starship and certainly smaller and more maneuverable than any capital ship.

And? Still a fact worth noting. It's substantially larger than a fighter.

I still await evidence for the DS2 engine completion stage. I also note the contradiction in your original post in which you state that only one fully functional Death Star was built but then continue to use the second as benchmark.

As I have explained, the quicker spin of the incomplete DS2 is the only thing that leads us to a possibly higher angular acceleration, and so it is worth taking into account as a possibility.

It provided no information whatsoever since we don't know what you mean by "wildly".

Well, take it as you will. As for myself, the varied treatments are worth noting.

[The Elder Dwoof]

The funniest part of the Death star is, with 20 YEARS to construct it, no Empire Engineer looked at the plans and said "You know, this thermal exhaust shaft goes straight from the surface to the reactor...I think we should put a couple of turns in it, in case someone shoots something up the tailpipe."

[Praeothmin]

The funniest part of the Death star is, with 20 YEARS to construct it, no Empire Engineer looked at the plans and said "You know, this thermal exhaust shaft goes straight from the surface to the reactor...I think we should put a couple of turns in it, in case someone shoots something up the tailpipe."

considering it took a kid with Force powers to succeed in hitting that bullseye, and that "experienced" pilots thought it was impossible to do, I don't think that was much of an oversight...

[The Elder Dwoof]

The funniest part of the Death star is, with 20 YEARS to construct it, no Empire Engineer looked at the plans and said "You know, this thermal exhaust shaft goes straight from the surface to the reactor...I think we should put a couple of turns in it, in case someone shoots something up the tailpipe."

considering it took a kid with Force powers to succeed in hitting that bullseye, and that "experienced" pilots thought it was impossible to do, I don't think that was much of an oversight...

But they went to the trouble to ray-shield the shaft...so clearly that possibility had occurred to them.

[Praeothmin]

Perhaps, or perhaps it was to protect it against a Tie fighter's stray shot (the pilots are about as accurate as Stormtroopers)...

:-)

[The Elder Dwoof]

Perhaps, or perhaps it was to protect it against a Tie fighter's stray shot (the pilots are about as accurate as Stormtroopers)...

:-)

Ah Yes, the old "Good guys/Bad guys accuracy" conundrum, where the easier the shot is, the more likely a villain is to miss, and the harder the shot is, the more likely the hero to hit...so 100 stormtroopers, all firing blaster bolts on full auto at a single hero, standing still in the middle of a room will always miss, while a single hero, hanging upside down by one leg and swinging, pendulum-like from an overhead pipe will always hit.

[Roondar]

The funniest part of the Death star is, with 20 YEARS to construct it, no Empire Engineer looked at the plans and said "You know, this thermal exhaust shaft goes straight from the surface to the reactor...I think we should put a couple of turns in it, in case someone shoots something up the tailpipe."

considering it took a kid with Force powers to succeed in hitting that bullseye, and that "experienced" pilots thought it was impossible to do, I don't think that was much of an oversight...

On the other hand a non-force powered dude came ridiculously close to hitting it on his first try. Sound to me the "experienced" pilot was not so right after all.

[Praeothmin]

On the other hand a non-force powered dude came ridiculously close to hitting it on his first try. Sound to me the "experienced" pilot was not so right after all.

Really?
That pilot had his targetting computer locking on to that pipe, with not doing any evasive maneuvers but flying his craft in s straight line to maximize his efficiency, that pilot "came close", but he didn't succeed.

It took a kid, under fire, flying without the assistance of his badly damaged astromech droid, without his targetting computer but strong in the Force, to succeed...

;-)

[Mike DiCenso]

Red Leader was under fire, not unlike what Luke would go through. Both of them had two wingmen, who for a short time, distracted and got in the way of the pursuing TIEs. The problem is that the Y-wings which made the first run didn't even get to fire any of their proton torpedoes before being shot down. So we have no idea whether or not Gold Leader and his wing would have been able to pull it off. Luke also lucked out incredibly by having Han and Chewie show up in the Falcon just in the nick of time to save his butt, thus clearing the way for him to make a clean shot, Force or not at the target shaft opening.
-Mike