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This is how much it would cost to build the Death Star

By Corey Smith

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Ever wanted to build your own Death Star? Turns out, not even Bill Gates can afford to build the ultimate weapon.

As a kid, I once attempted to build an X-Wing with a couple 2×4’s and some nails. Before my attention span ran out, I think I managed to nail three boards together, which in my mind was a portion of the cockpit. I can’t explain why my parents let me use a hammer and nails at 6,  and in advance of Rogue One’s release Twizzle has broken it down for us, and we can now explain exactly how much it would cost to build yourself your own personal Death Star. Big surprise, it’s a lot.

Using today’s prices for iron, steel, and the cost of sending anything into space, Twizzle estimates that the total cost of building your own Death Star to a meager $22,452,000,000,000,000,000. And that only gets you the basics, no upgrades like electricity, and life support. So that’s only 13 times the entire planet’s GDP for the shell of a Death Star. 13 years of the whole planet’s production for a shell.

Image Credit: Lucasfilm

Unfortunately, money is not the obstacle to overcome should you wish to build the world destroyer. Based off of the current production capacity of the Earth’s steel factories, it would take a mind-blowing 833,315 years to produce the steel needed to construct the Death Star. That’s even longer than it will take George R.R. Martin to finish The Winds of Winter. 

Oh and one other problem. The iron needed to complete the Death Star would have to come from Earth’s liquid core. We aren’t scientists here, but you don’t have to be Neil Degrasse Tyson do know that’s probably not a good idea. So consider my childhood dreams crushed.

More from Dork Side of the Force

Now that the numbers on the Death Star are out, the real question becomes, how much would it cost to build Starkiller Base?

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