The lightsaber wielded by Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker in the original 1977 “Star Wars” is being prepared to take a real-life trip out of this world. The movie prop was given yesterday to representatives from NASA by a troop of people dressed up as “Star Wars” characters so it can take a trip on an upcoming Space Shuttle flight scheduled for liftoff in October. A fan dressed up in a Wookiee costume presented the lightsaber to NASA officials in a ceremony observed by the media. To further publicize the special Shuttle trip Luke’s lightsaber will be on display through Labor Day at the Space Center in Houston right beside moon rocks and other astronomical rarities.

The Space Shuttle Discovery will hold the geeky honor of ferrying the ’saber onboard mission STS-120 scheduled to take off on October 27. The Shuttle and its seven-person crew will be flying to the International Space Station where a new multi-port node named Harmony will be added to the structure. The two big questions we’re wondering here at the Brick is whether the mission commander will let the other crewmembers have turns holding Luke’s lightsaber or not and if the astronauts will make that cool sounding VROOOM-VROOOM noise when they hold it.