Could there be a better Death Star design?

By: Megan Thompson

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - The highly-anticipated 'Star Wars' film is getting massive attention already, even with scientists and researchers at the University of Arizona.

In a series called: Star Wars Science, staff in the Research and Discovery department are using their minds to answer questions about the film franchise.

One question was brought to the man who may have an answer. Professor Roberto Furfaro is an assistant professor in the UA's College of Enginnering and the Director of the Space Systems Engineering Lab.

He was asked - was there not a better way to design the Death Star?

The Death Star is known in the films for being the Empire's ultimate weapon. But, it went down pretty easy by Luke Skywalker and his squad.

Professor Furfaro tellls KGUN9, there was definitely a flaw in the fictional spacecraft's design. Furfaro is an assistant professor in the university's College of Engineering, as well as the Director of Space Systems Engineering Lab.

"The exhaust thermal ports were small holes and the idea was that this holes would read directly to the central neutral fusion reactor," Furfaro explained. "The rebels exploded that by simply sending a projectile a laser missile something like that into that and then pretty much make the whole system explode."

Professor Furfaro came up with his own Death Star designs that he believes might have been more effective. This one has radiators that can use heat more economically with a port that is coiled. That is to try and get rid of some of the intense heat that allowed for such a catastrophic explosion of the Death Star in the 'Star Wars' film.

"The death star could have had a much better design by simply having the set of radiators distributed across the surface," Furfaro explained.

If only he was there when the blue-print was made for the Death Star. We might have had a different ending to the episode.

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Could there be a better Death Star design?

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