Dust collected from an asteroid by a NASA spacecraft more than 200 million miles away from Earth contains material that is older than the sun. Scientists have analysed samples from the Bennu asteroid, which resembles the Death Star space station in the Star Wars films, and found it is'chemically primitive'. It contained'presolar grains' which are stardust that formed around dying stars billions of years ago. The samples provide a glimpse into the outer Solar System during the birth of the sun and are more pristine than any meteorite on Earth, according to a team of researchers. NASA spacecraft Osiris Rex briefly touched the surface of Bennu with a robotic arm and collected 120g of material which was put into a capsule before it returned to earth in 2023.

A company say they have developed a Star Wars-inspired speeder bike that can zoom to 124mph. Poland-based Volonaut says their Airbike is the first'hoverbike' vehicle of its kind that does not use propellers to fly. Incredible videos show someone sitting on the device as it appears to effortlessly glide through the air. At one point it hovers remarkably steady as the rider lifts a hand to wave at the camera. The firm says: 'This groundbreaking design shares a lot of similarities to'speeder bikes' featured in popular science-fiction movies.'

A three-dimensional hologram-like image that users can reach out and touch has been achieved for the first time, using hundreds of silent speakers to levitate tiny particles of polystyrene. Creating an effect much like the displays seen in science-fiction movies such as Star Wars, the technology, inspired by the movies, is a step into the imagined future. Researchers at the University of Sussex, UK, built the'hologram' producing machine from 512 speakers set into a plinth above and below where the image appears. Ultrasound is emitted by the speakers, lifting tiny balls of polystyrene precisely into position by manipulating the sound waves - to'trap the particles acoustically'. By controlling and shifting air pressure using the speakers the balls can be so quickly manoeuvred to trace a 3D shape that they appear to be a 3D moving image - they float in pockets of low pressure created by the ultrasound. The tracing of the 3D shape desired by the polystyrene balls must be done in less than 0.1 seconds in order for the visual effect to materialise.

In 1983, millions of unsold cartridges of the Atari game ET The Extra Terrestrial were secretly buried in a concrete-covered landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Thanks to extremely rushed development and alleged interference from Universal Pictures, the movie tie-in was one of the worst video games ever made, and a mass grave was the only option for the poor, unwanted cartridges. Unfortunately, like movies adapted from games, games adapted from movies are often bad. Historically, this has not been the result of too much interference from the movie studios that own the licences, but too little. Promising pop-culture properties such as Transformers, Robocop and Harry Potter have often been farmed out to contracted development studios that are then given far too little time to make anything half decent. The forthcoming Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, however, has better prospects than most.

Star Wars is a guaranteed money-making film franchise for Disney. Like an enormous Star Destroyer looming over every other film or franchise it's up against on any opening day, it's as close to a sure thing you can get in entertainment investments. The question here, however – with Disney, and more specifically with Kathleen Kennedy's steering and the evolving face of film, audiences and technology – is, should we still care? Since George Lucas handed off his cultural behemoth in 2012, Disney has sought to expand its merchandising capabilities to the far reaches of the universe, as well as expanding the commercial brand to include entire theme parks based on the films and even hotel guest experiences not unlike that of "Westworld," where guests participate in their own "Star Wars Story." FILE -- In this image released by Disney, a scene is shown from the film, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," in theaters on Dec. 18, 2015.

It may only be one metre tall, but a R2-D2 droid has just become one of the most valuable pieces of Hollywood memorabilia ever sold. The robot, which was used in several Star Wars films, sold at auction this week for a staggering £2.13 million ($2.76 million). While those who haven't seen the Star Wars films might see this as a big investment, experts claim that the droid is the'creme de la creme of movie props' and something that you could'put next to a Picasso.' The robot, which was used in several Star Wars films, sold at auction this week for a staggering £2.13 million ($2.76 million) The R2-D2 droid was sold by Profiles in History, an auction house based in Calabasas, California, as part of its Hollywood Auction. The one metre (43 inch) tall unit was compiled from parts used throughout filming of the original Star Wars trilogy, from 1977-1983.

Apple has purchased the company behind motion-capture technology used in the latest Star Wars film. Faceshift, a Zurich based start-up, specialises in software that allows 3D animated characters to mimic the facial expressions of an actor. Apple has now bought the company, though it is not known how much the deal cost the tech giant. It is also unclear what Apple's plans are for the company following its acquisition. A spokesman said: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

While we're used to seeing laser weapons in the Star Wars films, the futuristic technology could soon be a reality for the UK military. The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £30 million ($37 million) contract to create a laser weapon which can track targets at distances and operate in varied weather conditions. If the prototype is successful, the UK's first laser weapons could come into service by the mid-2020s. While the MoD has not specificed whether the laser could be used for any specific threats, director energy weapons could have a range of used. The MoD has partnered with Dragonfire, a UK industrial team to create the laser weapon.

This weekend marked the opening of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the latest entry in the nearly 40-year-old film series, and the first "standalone" release to take place outside of the episodic Star Wars installments--that is, of course, if you don't count those WTF (Way Too Fuzzy) Ewoks movies. Rogue One, as you likely know by now, tracks a group of Rebels (played by Felicity Jones and Diego Luna, among others) as they attempt to steal information vital to the Empire's brand-new Death Star. Along the way, they witness daring dogfights and catty robots, and occasionally find themselves face-to-face with beloved galaxy-questers from previous Star Wars films. Rogue One Relatives: 10 More Star Wars Standalone Movies Disney Should Make The Alt-Right Hates Rogue One, Because of Course It Does Want to Really Get Rogue One? Read the Prequel Novel Want to Really Get Rogue One? Read the Prequel Novel Want to Really Get Rogue One? Read the Prequel Novel But as Rogue One chugs along to certain box-office domination, we can't help but wonder: Is this latest Star Wars story really necessary? Or is it merely a temporary diversion--an escape pod--from the dauntingly gargantuan ongoing narrative that is the traditional saga? WIRED's Brian Raftery and Angela Watercutter discuss the movie below--and, lest we be accused of Dianoga-like stealth and sneakiness, we should be upfront about the fact that spoilers are everywhere.

British actor Kenny Baker, who starred as R2-D2 in six Star Wars films, has died aged 81 after a long illness, his niece has confirmed. Baker made his name as the robot in the first Star Wars film in 1977 alongside Anthony Daniels's C-3PO character. Star Wars creator George Lucas paid tribute to a "real gentleman" and Mark Hamill - Luke Skywalker in the films - said he had lost "a lifelong friend". Born in Birmingham, Baker's other films include Time Bandits and Flash Gordon. After starring in the original Star Wars film he went on to appear in the sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and the three prequels between 1999 and 2005.