By The Associated Press

Published: Saturday, January 12, 2013, 9:42 p.m.
Updated: Sunday, January 13, 2013

WASHINGTON — A “Death Star” won't be a part of the military's arsenal anytime 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 on 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.”

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