Alex Burkan from Russia has always been fascinated by the lightsaber used by characters throughout the Star Wars franchise, and what better way to learn more about it than by creating one? That’s exactly what he did and ended up with the world’s first retractable lightsaber, according to Guinness World Records. When activated, the plasma blade measures over 3.28-feet in length and reaches temperatures of over 2,800°C (5,072°F).
The plasma blade gets so hot that it can cut through steel. This may sound cool, but actually building it was a complex process that started by fabricating high pressure equipment specially adapted for his lightsaber. One of the most important components is an electrolyser, or a device that can generate a large amount of hydrogen and oxygen, while compressing the gas to any pressure without a mechanical compressor. After countless tests, this electrolyser was able to be adapted so the hydrogen and oxygen burner so formed the shape as well as length required for his lightsaber.
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Since 2013 the main field of my research and work was hydrogen generation equipment so I decided, maybe, that I could build something. Every single step during [the] development and building process was a challenge. For many years I have collected ideas and spare parts for my lightsaber and power equipment on the internet markets and [from] scrap yards,” said Burkan.
