Millennium Falcon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Millennium Falcon |
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| Star Wars vehicle | |
The Millennium Falcon as seen in Star Wars
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| First appearance | Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) |
| Last appearance | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) |
| Created by | George Lucas |
| Designed by | Joe Johnston |
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| Affiliation |
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| Made by | Corellian Engineering Corporation |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class | YT-1300F light freighter / smuggling ship |
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| Length | 34.75 metres (114.0 ft) |
| Height | 7.8 metres (26 ft) |
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The Millennium Falcon is one of the most famous fictional starships from the Star Wars universe. It's known for its unique shape and incredible speed. This iconic ship was first seen in the movie Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. Since then, it has appeared in many Star Wars films, TV shows, books, comics, and games. It even showed up in The Lego Movie!
The Falcon is a special type of cargo ship called a YT-1300 Corellian light freighter. Its main pilots are the brave smuggler Han Solo and his loyal Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca. Before Han, the ship belonged to the smooth-talking Lando Calrissian. Even though the Millennium Falcon often looks old and a bit worn out, it's incredibly fast. It has helped the heroes of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic win many important battles.
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How the Millennium Falcon Was Designed
The Millennium Falcon almost looked very different! Early designs were longer, but they looked too much like ships from another TV show called Space: 1999. So, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, asked for a new look. That original long model was later used as Princess Leia's ship, the Tantive IV.
Designer Joe Johnston had only about four weeks to create the new Falcon. George Lucas told him to imagine a "flying saucer". But Joe Johnston wanted something more unique. He came up with the famous design we know today: the cockpit off to the side, the two "mandibles" at the front for cargo, and the engine slot at the back. Some people say the ship's shape was inspired by a hamburger with an olive on the side for the cockpit! This simple yet clever design was finished just in time.
Even the sounds of the Falcon are special. When it jumps into hyperspace, the sound comes from combining engine noises from a real airplane, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9. Sound designer Ben Burtt also added the hum of cooling fans to make it sound even more unique. The cockpit's window design might have been inspired by the American B-29 Superfortress airplane.
Bringing the Ship to Life: Models and Sets
To make the Millennium Falcon look real in the movies, filmmakers built many different models and sets. For the first Star Wars film, they built a large part of the ship's exterior. This allowed actors to walk around it in scenes like Mos Eisley's Docking Bay 94.
They also built detailed interior sets for the cockpit, corridors, and cargo hold. The cockpit was even built on a special rig that could shake, making it seem like the ship was really moving through space or getting hit!
Over the years, different miniature models were created for special effects. Some were small, like a few feet long, while others were tiny, like the size of a U.S. quarter! These models helped show the Falcon flying through asteroid fields or battling enemy ships. For The Empire Strikes Back, a huge, movable full-scale model was built in a secret hangar in Wales. It weighed over 25 tons and could even "hover" a little using compressed air!
Later films, especially the newer ones, used CGI (computer-generated images) to create the Falcon. This allowed for even more amazing and complex flight scenes. Even today, a full-sized replica of the Falcon exists at the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park, where fans can see it up close.
The Millennium Falcon in Action
The Millennium Falcon has been part of many thrilling adventures throughout the Star Wars saga.
Early Adventures and the Death Star
Han Solo won the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian in a card game called sabacc. This happened years before the first Star Wars movie. In A New Hope, Han and Chewbacca are hired by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker to fly them to Alderaan. They also carried C-3PO, R2-D2, and the secret plans for the Death Star.
When the Death Star captured the Falcon, the heroes hid in secret compartments to avoid being found. After rescuing Princess Leia, they escaped aboard the ship. Han later returned to help Luke destroy the Death Star, proving the Falcon's importance in a major victory.
Escapes and Battles
In The Empire Strikes Back, Han, Chewbacca, Leia, and C-3PO used the Falcon to escape the Imperial fleet. This was tough because the ship's hyperdrive was damaged! They found temporary safety in Cloud City, but Darth Vader captured Han. Lando Calrissian then helped the others escape, and R2-D2 fixed the hyperdrive. Lando later used the Falcon to search for Han.
Lando Calrissian piloted the Falcon again in Return of the Jedi, with Nien Nunb as his co-pilot. They led the attack to destroy the second Death Star. During this intense battle, the Falcon accidentally lost its circular sensor dish, but Lando and the team still managed to help defeat the Galactic Empire.
New Heroes, New Missions
About 30 years after Return of the Jedi, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Falcon was found on the desert planet Jakku. It had been stolen from Han and Chewbacca. A scavenger named Rey and a former stormtrooper named Finn took the ship to escape the First Order.
Soon after, they were found by Han Solo and Chewbacca, who happily reclaimed their ship! The Falcon then helped them on a dangerous mission to return the droid BB-8 to the Resistance. After Han's death, Rey became the main pilot of the Falcon, with Chewbacca by her side. They used it to find the legendary Luke Skywalker.
The Falcon continued its role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, helping the Resistance escape the First Order on the planet Crait. It even took out many enemy fighters! In The Rise of Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, and Wedge Antilles piloted the Falcon in the final, massive battle against the Sith Eternal forces, leading a huge fleet to victory.
The Famous Kessel Run
In the first Star Wars movie, Han Solo famously bragged that the Falcon "made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs". This line often confused people because a parsec is a unit of distance, not time!
George Lucas, the creator, later explained it. In the Star Wars universe, traveling through hyperspace isn't always a straight line. You have to navigate around stars, planets, and other dangers. So, the "fastest" ship isn't just about speed, but about how well it can plot the "most direct course" and travel the shortest distance.
The movie Solo: A Star Wars Story showed this in detail. Han used his amazing piloting skills and a special navigation system to take a dangerous "shortcut" very close to a black hole. This allowed him to travel a shorter distance than usual. Chewbacca joked that it was closer to 13 parsecs, but Han insisted, "Not if you round down!"
Who Owned the Falcon?
The Millennium Falcon has had several owners and pilots over its long history:
- Before A New Hope, the ship belonged to Lando Calrissian. He lost it to Han Solo in a card game, as shown in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
- After Han Solo was captured in The Empire Strikes Back, Lando, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia took control of the Falcon.
- During Return of the Jedi, Han lent the Falcon to Lando, who piloted it during the Battle of Endor.
- After Return of the Jedi, the Falcon was stolen from Han. It ended up with a scrap dealer named Unkar Plutt on the planet Jakku. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rey and Finn took the ship, only for Han and Chewbacca to reclaim it.
- After Han Solo's death, Rey became the main pilot, with Chewbacca as her co-pilot.
- After Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Falcon became the main base for the remaining members of the Resistance.
- In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca were once again piloting the Falcon in the final battle.
The Millennium Falcon's Impact
The Millennium Falcon is more than just a fictional ship; it has influenced many real-world things and other stories.
- The creator of the TV show Firefly, Joss Whedon, said the Falcon was a big inspiration for his own show's spaceship.
- You can spot the Falcon's distinct shape in other movies like Star Trek: First Contact and Spaceballs.
- The company SpaceX, which builds rockets, named many of its launch vehicles after the Millennium Falcon (except for their Starship).
- The United States Air Force even named one of its software development centers "Kessel Run" because they wanted to develop software quickly, just like Han Solo's famous flight!
Biology
Believe it or not, a real-life ancient sea creature was named after the Millennium Falcon! The middle Cambrian arthropod Cambroraster falcatus got its name because its shape reminded scientists of the ship.
Millennium Falcon Toys and Collectibles
Because the Millennium Falcon is so popular, many companies have made toys and models of it. Companies like Kenner, Hasbro, Hot Wheels, and Lego have all created different versions.
- Hot Wheels has made miniature models for their Star Wars line, and even a version of the ship designed like a car!
- Lego has released many Millennium Falcon sets over the years. Some are small, while others are huge and incredibly detailed. In 2017, Lego released an "Ultimate Collectors Series" Millennium Falcon with 7,541 pieces, making it one of the largest and most expensive Lego sets ever! There's even a "Kessel Run Millennium Falcon" set based on the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Experience the Falcon at Theme Parks
Fans can get up close to the Millennium Falcon at the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park areas. These parks opened in 2019 at Disneyland Resort in California and Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida.
- At these parks, you can see a full-sized replica of the Falcon! It's an amazing sight.
- There's also an exciting ride called Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. On this ride, you get to sit inside the cockpit of the Falcon and take control, flying it on a thrilling mission!
Images for kids
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Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon during the making of a scene from the Star Wars Holiday Special
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A Hot Wheels Millennium Falcon toy
See also
In Spanish: Halcón Milenario para niños
- List of Star Wars spacecraft
