Wouldn’t it be awesome if the US government actually built a Death Star? If you’re familiar with the Star Wars franchise, then you know it’s the moon-sized superweapon and space station that’s capable of blowing up planets by firing a laser beam at it. Thousands of people wanted to see it built, so they signed a petition and submitted it to the White House for their consideration last November.
After a few months of careful consideration, the official response to the petition is out, and sadly, it’s a huge ‘no.’ However, we now see that the White House does, indeed, have a sense of humor, and you’ll find out why when you read their response to the petition–after the break.
Penned by Paul Shawcross, who is the chief of the science and space branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget, the response goes like this:
“The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn’t on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:
The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We’re working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.
The Administration does not support blowing up planets.
Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?”
You can read the rest of the response here.
VIA [ CNET ]