White House rejects ‘Death Star’ call

WASHINGTON – A “Death Star” won’t be a part of the U.S. military’s arsenal any time soon.

More than 34,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Obama administration to build the “Star Wars” inspired super-weapon to spur job growth and bolster national defense.

But in a posting Friday on the White House website, Paul Shawcross, an administration adviser on science and space, says a Death Star would cost too much to build – an estimated $850 quadrillion – at a time the White House is working to reduce the federal budget.

Besides, Shawcross says, the Obama administration “does not support blowing up planets.”

And finally, Shawcross questioned the sense of spending “countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship.”

The U.S., Shawcross points out, is already involved in several out-of-this-world projects, including the International Space Station, which is currently orbiting Earth with a half-dozen astronauts.

The online petition had called for construction to begin by 2016. Under current policy, the White House will respond to any appeal that garners more than 25,000 signatures.

It was created by a Colorado man identified only as John D. in November and passed the threshold for a response just last week.