The Force will be with you, always, and now it will always be a part of American history.
The National Air and Space Museum announced that it will display an X-wing prop from the 2019 “Star Wars” movie, “The Rise of Skywalker.”
The Smithsonian made the announcement on “Star Wars” Day, May the Fourth.
The aircraft, which has only ever flown on-screen in a galaxy far, far away, will be part of an exhibit in the museum’s newly renovated building on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
There is no set date on when “Star Wars” fans can see the 37-foot-long vehicle but the Smithsonian says it will be “late” 2022.
Until then, the starfighter will be reconditioned at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia where visitors can see the spacecraft for free.
The movie prop is on long-term loan from Lucasfilm.
The X-wing is the fighter jet that Luke Skywalker famously used to destroy the Death Star in the original 1977 “Star Wars” movie.
It is a versatile Rebel Alliance starfighter that balances speed and firepower and is armed with four laser cannons and two proton torpedo launchers.
Margaret Weitekamp, the museum’s space history chairwoman recognized the impact “Star Wars” had in sparking interest in space exploration.
“Despite taking place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, ‘Star Wars’ introduced generations of fans here on Earth to outer space as a setting for adventure and exploration,” she said. “All air and space milestones begin with inspiration, and science fiction so often provides that spark — the iconic X-wing displayed amid our other spacecraft celebrates the journey from imagination to achievement.”