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Originally posted by Styrofoaman:
The major problem I have is this... What exactly did that port do? There seems to be no logical reason to have a direct shaft to your reactor core. And if you did need one why not put a bloody screen over it? With all those people aboard they couldn't send someone out EVA to put a sheet of metal over it!

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It was in the script...that's all that matters.
If you want to argue about that, ask how does a flower power a Veritech (insert whatever POS robotech mecha)? or how does Lynn Minmai's voice not cause epiletic shock instead of narcalepsi? or why doesn't a Valkyrie break up in flight when it transforms? lots of honest to good questions to occur in movies and animation, not just the obvious about the Death Star...wanna know why it was easy to destroy the DS? it was probably made by retard clones -or- Cardassians, take your pick
 

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Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Styrofoaman:
The major problem I have is this... What exactly did that port do? There seems to be no logical reason to have a direct shaft to your reactor core. And if you did need one why not put a bloody screen over it? With all those people aboard they couldn't send someone out EVA to put a sheet of metal over it!

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Possibly that shaft was some emerency vent in case of reactor failure....or an access shaft for some service vehicle that we never saw.

Or just a silly plot device.

The real question is- why the Empire didint learn anything from the disaster and better defend the reactor on the second (even larger) Death Star.
You'd think there'd have been a hatch they could've closed over that construction pit once the attack began.
 

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Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
 
"There seems to be no logical reason to have a direct shaft to your reactor core."

This is the same Empire that incorporates bottemless pits and doors that lead to two-inch wide cutoff bridges with no handrails in all of its installations. Logic is not exactly an engineering priority for these folks.
 

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Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
 
Dont forget that suicidally fast lowering guilotine-door from Star Wars.....holy crap, that was dangerous!
 

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Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
 
I think it's just ol' Palpy's way of keeping true to his Nubian roots.
 

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Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
 
Didn't anyone listen during General Dodonna's briefing? "The target is a small thermal exhaust port right below the main port." Entirely possible having kinks in the exhaust port would reduce heat-exchange efficiency. The shaft was ray-shielded so lasers wouldn't work. The main port was mounted on the end wall, and obviously couldn't be targetted unless you were in the trench, and as obviously didn't have a direct line to the reactor, as it immediately took a ninety-degree bend.

Remember also that our dear General also said the station's defenses were geared toward repelling capital ships, but not starfighters. Presumably they assumed the station gunners would have ample time to shoot down any missiles shot toward sensitive areas by cap ships being held at a remove by the heavy weapons batteries.

As for the other Imperial engineering foibles, I won't try to explain, beyond cost-cutting measures -- the same measures that saw them not put particle shielding over a thermal exhaust port. *heh*

--Jonah
 

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Posted by Nim the Fanciful (Member # 205) on :
 
Remember also that the torpedoes, immediately after entering the hole, did a downward plunge so as to follow the steep angle of the pipe; it probably wasn't straight all the way at all, but the torpedoes could "adapt" their bearing somewhat.

Now, in "Return of the Jedi" the greatest reason for the Empire not having sealed off all connections to the core was because they were planning on their Deflector Shield being quite operational when Luke's friends arrive.

The station was only about three quarters done and big as a small moon, there must've been hundreds of different ways to enter the station, none of which would've worked had the shield remained active.
 

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Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
 
Er, how much fuel did those damn torpedoes have anyways?

Or were they drawn in by gravity?
 

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Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
 
Those torpedoes pulled a 10.000G turn just to enter the shaft. I doubt their burn time was much of a technical consideration at any point.
 

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