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Star Tours
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| Star Tours | |
|---|---|
| Organizational information | |
| Primary role(s) |
Interstellar travel agency |
| Chronological and political information | |
| Era(s) | |
Star Tours was an interstellar travel agency which gave tours to prominent planets and moons in the galaxy.
Contents |
History
Edit
Though an earlier incarnation of Star Tours existed as far back as the Clone Wars, the company greatly expanded its business and opened a new intergalactic space terminal on a space station in the Earth system some time prior to the Battle of Yavin. The agency hoped to promote unrestricted travel through the galaxy despite the Empire's oppression. Alderaanian Captain Raymus Antilles assisted in the launch of the expanded spaceline by assigning droids C-3PO and R2-D2 to help launch their new spaceport.[1] On an early voyage, prior to the ship's departure from the terminal, Imperial agents discovered the presence of a Rebel spy on board and attempted to arrest the Rebel. The vessel took off and fought its way past Imperial ships surrounding the space station. After being chased through hyperspace, the StarSpeeder 1000 landed and delivered the spy to safety.[2]
At the time of the Battle of Yavin, Star Tours' space cruiser Tzarina, was involved in a tragic accident that cost most of its passengers their lives. For unknown reasons the ship's droid captain decided to change course towards Yavin to show his passengers "something neat". Once there, the yacht collided with an unidentified TIE fighter variant that was tumbling out of control through space. The collision caused the Tzarina's hyperdrive to initiate and throw the ship into hyperspace. When it fell out of hyperspace half a galaxy away it crash landed on Dathomir in the Quelii Sector. Only one passenger was known to survive the crash and find his way to the Dathomir Trade Outpost, where he told others his story.[3]

Immediately following the Battle of Endor, Star Tours sought to capitalize on the Moddell Sector's sudden fame by promising "convenient daily departures to the exotic moon of Endor" along the decaying Sanctuary Pipeline.[4] During this time, C-3PO and R2-D2 again briefly worked for the agency. One pilot for this flight, RX-24, failed to actually make it to the Endor moon and instead sped quickly out of the system and into a battle between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant along with the third Death Star.[5]
Several months later, after a variety of accidents and mismanagement the company was driven out of business.[4]
Fleet
Edit
Star Tours's fleet was once dominated by the 40-passenger StarSpeeder 1000.

In later years, the carrier also used a next-generation fleet of StarSpeeder 3000 vehicles. These vessels were piloted by questionably competent RX-series pilot droids and carried an astromech unit. Despite the agency's claim that the ships were highly advanced, they were often in need of repair.
Star Tours used other ships besides the StarSpeeder. The ill-fated Tzarina was a Corellian vessel similar to a CR90 Corvette.
Droids and personnel
Edit
Pilots
Edit
Star Tours used pilot droids like AC-38 and the unreliable RX-series droids to pilot their ships. The RX droids were responsible for many of the accidents that helped drive the agency out of business. RX-24 was one of the pilots of Star Tours' flight to Endor.
Maintenance
Edit
Other
Edit
- Aly San San
- Dan Android
- DL-X2
- ROX-N
- Lady Droid
- T3
- Unidentified Star Tours Mon Calamari
- Unidentified Star Tours security officer
Destinations
Edit

- Balmorra
- Behpour
- Bespin
- Bogden
- Christophsis
- Dac
- Coruscant
- Dagobah
- Dathomir
- Endor
- Felucia
- Geonosis
- Glee Anselm[6]
- Hoth
- Kamino
- Kashyyyk
- Mandalore (Planet)
- Malastare
- Metalorn
- Mustafar
- Mygeeto
- Naboo
- Panna
- Polis Massa
- Rhen Var
- Rodia
- Ryloth
- Shili
- Shumari
- Skako
- Tatooine
- Trandosha
- Utapau
- Xagobah
- Yavin 4
Behind the scenes
Edit
Star Tours is a theme park attraction located at Tomorrowland in Disneyland, as well as at three other Disney theme parks, including the filmmaking-oriented Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World.
Originally opened at Disneyland in 1987 with a single flight, the "Endor Express", Star Tours has since been re-imagined so that as many as 54 different experiences are available to passengers. Destinations now include Coruscant, Naboo, Tatooine, Hoth, Kashyyyk,Geonosis, and the first Death Star
References to the Star Tours passenger carrier have appeared in various Expanded Universe sources, and a number of action figures based on the attraction's droids, particularly RX-24 ("Rex"), have been released.
The canonicity of the events depicted in the original Star Tours experience has been disputed for many reasons, the most obvious being the inclusion of the Death Star. Since R2-D2's presence onboard the Starspeeder 3000 precludes the events taking place during the Battle of Yavin or the Battle of Endor, the Death Star seen in the ride video has been considered by some to be the Death Star prototype, as seen in Jedi Search and Champions of the Force and its destruction to be a depiction of the prototype's destruction at The Maw. However, it does not match that prototype's skeletal construction and R2-D2 is accounted for during that event, as well. Also, the Star Tours Death Star is very close to Endor, far from the Maw's location. This may indicate it is a so far unrevealed Death Star, or that the ride's events are simply not canonical. Others have suggested that the Death Star is one of the modified habitation spheres seen under construction over Coruscant. Leland Chee has tentatively named it the Death Star III.
Appearances
Edit
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Lightsaber Lost" (Appears on holofeed advertisement only)
- Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
- Star Tours (First appearance)
Sources
Edit
- Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina (possible appearance of RX-24)
- The New Essential Guide to Droids
- Endor and the Moddell Sector - Star Wars Gamer 9
- Star Wars: Chronicles
- Leland Chee's comments on the canonicity of Star Tours
- The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 2
- The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 10
- Star Wars Magazine UK 4
- Star Wars Magazine UK 31
- The Cinema of George Lucas
- Star Wars: Behind the Magic
- Star Wars: Star Tours toy line
- The Star Wars Poster Book
- Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide
- George Lucas: The Creative Impulse
- The Star Wars Vault
"I Have a Bad Feeling About This!"—Star Wars Insider 106
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Notes and references
Edit
- ↑ Star Tours: The Adventures Continue opening crawl shown at Florida grand opening.
- ↑ Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
- ↑ Star Wars Galaxies
- ↑ 4.0 4.1
"Endor and the Moddell Sector"—Star Wars Gamer 9 - ↑ Star Tours (real-world)
- ↑
Coruscant Billboard from The Clone Wars on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
See also
Edit
- Star Tours (the real-world attraction)
- Galaxy Tours
- Roon Tours
