Throughout the history of the Empire, no one attack was so great as that of the destruction of the home planet of Princess Leia, Alderan. But, what weapon could be so powerful to destroy an entire planet? Simple: The Death Star. Fashioned to be the "ultimate weapon", the Death Star was the crowning achievement for the Empire and its use of might and fear to rule the galaxy. Basic Facts

The Death Star, also known as DS-1, was a moon sized space station. It measured nearly 75 miles wide and high with a powerful array of shields and weapons. Its main weapon was a cyber crystal powered super laser that could destroy an entire planet. The space station was so large that it was often mistaken for a moon at first glance. Its size led to it having a greater gravitational pull, which required TIE Fighter pilots to adjust their take offs to be more like leaving the atmosphere of a planet. It could also house Imperial Super Star Destroyers within its casing.

That's no moon. It's a space station. -Obi Wan Kenobi

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A World of Its Own

The Death Star was designed to function in and of itself. It could hold a large number of people (millions) and was equipped with various cafeterias, eateries, and other commissary areas. There were communal barks as well as a vast array of private bunks as well. People coming aboard could expect to receive one in just a few months. It was also home to a large detention area, though mostly used for holding inmates until transportation to another facility. Offense and Defense

The most powerful offensive weapon on the Death Star was its Super Laser. It had enough power to destroy an entire planet. However, it needed to have a fixed target and had a 24 hour recharge time.The surface of the Death Star was peppered with cannons to fend off incoming attacks. It also had many tractor beam emplacements, which were designed to fend off a large fleet attack rather than single star fighters, which were view "non threatening" by the Empire. Its Own Origin Story

The original plans for the Death Strar came from the Geonosians. These plans were commissioned by Count Dooku and the plans were turned over to him when the Galactic Republic sent their newly formed Clone Army to Geonosis. After the Clone Wars ended, Darth Sidious appointed himself Emperor, got rid of the Separatists led by Count Dooku and had the Death Star constructed under Admiral Tarkin. Initially, it began construction over Geonosis. However, with great risk to the station itself, it was moved to the orbit of another planet. To ensure its secrecy, all the Geonosians were destroyed. Although many people assumed the design came from Geonosis, no one but the Emperor knew the entire story. ​The station took nearly 20 years to complete and had many delays along the way. From suppliers to Rebel forces, the competition of the Death Star was not an easy task to undertake. One in a Million Shot

Though the Death Star was very powerful and even destroyed a planet, it did have its weaknesses. After the Rebel Alliance gained the plans to the Death Star, and young pilot named Luke Skywalker flew an X-Wing Star Fighter to the Death Star and destroyed it with a missile fired into an exhaust port on the surface. This was known as the Battle of Yavin and would change the course of history forever.

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