: The station became fully operational just before the events of A New Hope , under the command of Grand Moff Tarkin . Development Challenges Impact on Project Secrecy
: Creating the planet-killing beam was the most difficult part. Director Orson Krennic oversaw a team of scientists on Eadu who worked to harness kyber crystals to power the weapon.
Faced constant shortages of raw materials and missed engineering deadlines due to the unprecedented scale.
: The initial schematics were developed by the Geonosians under Archduke Poggle the Lesser during the Clone Wars. Count Dooku eventually delivered these plans to Darth Sidious (Palpatine).
: Lead engineer Galen Erso intentionally stalled development for years after learning the project's true purpose. He also built a secret "fatal flaw" into the thermal exhaust port, which the Rebel Alliance later exploited.
The development of the first (the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station) was a massive undertaking that spanned roughly 20 years . While the station's hull was completed relatively quickly, the project was plagued by engineering challenges, secrecy, and sabotage. Key Phases of Development