The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

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The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by Captain Picard's Hair »

That's a lot of overtime. It's a sure thing the machine not quite as big as a moon would be expensive, but someone took the time to work out approximately how expensive.

https://www.cnet.com/news/death-star-wo ... e-per-day/

Since the damn things don't seem to last long, one wonders whether the savings from not having to operate one compare to the massive loss. What kind of insurance could Palpatine have gotten on the thing?
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by RK_Striker_JK_5 »

For a galactic economy... I just don't see that as all that much.
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by Teaos »

That's like the pay of four senators. The thing pays for itself.
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by Graham Kennedy »

Yeah, but they probably saved like $99.95 by missing the grating that covers the small thermal exhaust port that's right below the main port. And it's not like there's a problem created with little cost cutting measures like that!
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

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Graham Kennedy wrote:Yeah, but they probably saved like $99.95 by missing the grating that covers the small thermal exhaust port that's right below the main port. And it's not like there's a problem created with little cost cutting measures like that!
It is a thermal exhaust port. Unless the energy release from said port is significantly less than a single shot from a blaster, then any grating would be doing very well indeed to last more than a fraction of a second.
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by Graham Kennedy »

If the sides of the port can withstand the heat, then there's no reason you couldn't put a grating over it that would also withstand the heat.
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by RK_Striker_JK_5 »

And that exhaust port pushes gas out. Without the aid of magic space wizards, shot would've been pretty much impossible.
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by Captain Seafort »

Graham Kennedy wrote:If the sides of the port can withstand the heat, then there's no reason you couldn't put a grating over it that would also withstand the heat.
A grating would have a far higher surface area-volume ratio than the solid sides of the shaft and would have had far less volume available for cooling equipment. It would have been bombarded directly by high-energy particles - the difference between standing next to a bloke using a flamethrower and being the target of said flamethrower.
RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:And that exhaust port pushes gas out. Without the aid of magic space wizards, shot would've been pretty much impossible.
If that halfwit Tarkin had deployed even a fraction of his fighter contingent the shot would have been entirely impossible because no one would have survived to make the shot.
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by RK_Striker_JK_5 »

Captain Seafort wrote:
RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:And that exhaust port pushes gas out. Without the aid of magic space wizards, shot would've been pretty much impossible.
If that halfwit Tarkin had deployed even a fraction of his fighter contingent the shot would have been entirely impossible because no one would have survived to make the shot.
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by Captain Picard's Hair »

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:For a galactic economy... I just don't see that as all that much.
And that exhaust port pushes gas out. Without the aid of magic space wizards, shot would've been pretty much impossible.


If that halfwit Tarkin had deployed even a fraction of his fighter contingent the shot would have been entirely impossible because no one would have survived to make the shot.

That, too. Pride goeth before the fall, as they say.
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by Graham Kennedy »

Captain Seafort wrote:
Graham Kennedy wrote:If the sides of the port can withstand the heat, then there's no reason you couldn't put a grating over it that would also withstand the heat.
A grating would have a far higher surface area-volume ratio than the solid sides of the shaft and would have had far less volume available for cooling equipment. It would have been bombarded directly by high-energy particles - the difference between standing next to a bloke using a flamethrower and being the target of said flamethrower.
Firing a flamethrower along a metal shaft for (presumably) 24 hours a day would make the shaft just as hot as any grating on the end. If the Empire was incapable of constructing a simple grating to protect the shaft then they have no business making such a shaft, and if you can't make a Death Star without one then they have no business making Death Stars.

Morons, the lot of them.

And with that I am off to see Rogue One, because if I sit in this house a minute longer I shall scream. :)
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Re: The Death Star would cost several Octillion to operate

Post by Captain Seafort »

Graham Kennedy wrote:Firing a flamethrower along a metal shaft for (presumably) 24 hours a day would make the shaft just as hot as any grating on the end.
No it wouldn't, for the other reasons I mentioned - the far greater volume/surface ratio and the lack of space for cooling gear.
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