Zero - G assault stormtrooper The Zero - G assault stormtroopers , commonly known as spacetroopers , were members of a specialized branch of the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps equipped and trained to capture enemy vessels intact . They also operated within the Imperial Navy . Their loyalty and skill were second only to that of the Emperor ' s Royal Guards . Equipment . To perform their missions , spacetroopers wore a two - meter tall set of Zero - G armor that interfaced with standard stormtrooper armor . The suit provided a hermetic seal against the vacuum of space and propulsion that allowed spacetroopers to move and fight in space for extended periods . As a result , the official field manual for officers in the Imperial Military , " " , compared it to a small - single pilot spacecraft , with one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance , Leia Organa Solo , reluctantly admitting that the description was indeed very accurate , citing that a single spacetrooper was more than capable of breaching and seizing control of a blockade runner . It is also stated that Space troopers are consider the best troops in the galaxy . According to Crix Madine , EMP Bursts were able to shut down a Space troopers system , making them vunerable . In addition , the suit allowed them to carry heavy firepower , turning each trooper into the equivalent of a light tank . Weapon systems included two shoulder mounted , magazine fed grenade launchers able to fire concussion grenades , gas grenade s , and stun grenade s ; a right gauntlet blaster cannon ; and a left gauntlet miniature proton torpedo launcher . Each gauntlet also included laser cutters to penetrate ship hulls . In addition to the large , boxy armor most commonly seen , spacetroopers during the Thrawn campaign made use of a more form fitting style of armor . This style appeared as a bulkier form of standard stormtrooper armor that afforded greater flexibility but greatly reduced firepower , armor , and mobility . It is unclear if this model of spacetrooper armor replaced the older design or was a variant . A third style of " Spacetrooper " emerged early , during the building of the first Death Star , but was rarely seen . These units were deployed to many zero - G environments , such as areas outside the Death Star ' s artificially generated atmosphere . It was simply standard stormtrooper armor vacuum sealed , with a rebreather unit and a back - mounted jetpack . This system had no built - in weapons , and just relied on what the trooper carried in - hand . While it had much less mobility in space , it did have the advantage of being lighter , smaller and easier to move in small spaces , such as inside ships or bases that did not have atmosphere or gravity . For all their advantages , however , spacetroopers had weaknesses . Like most electronics - based equipment , spacetrooper armor was vulnerable to EMP bursts , which if spacetroopers were caught in a burst , they were effectively left immobile in space . In addition , their weapons systems were ill - suited for starfighter combat . History . Originating during the Clone Wars , the Galactic Marines tested prototype spacetrooper suits during the Battle of New Bornalex . The weapon systems failed , and the marines were forced to use hand - to - hand combat and succeeded . The Empire corrected the problem with a new armor design by Dr . Nashiak Llalik ( based on Llalik ' s own scrapped pet project Sunder 9 armor ) and made use of them . Platoons of forty spacetroopers were deployed from " Gamma " - class assault shuttles . Enemy capital ships could be easily overtaken with well organized assaults . Notable spacetroopers included Rom Mohc , the developer of the Dark Trooper Project . Spacetroopers , along with representatives from every specialized Stormtrooper Corps , were assigned to Darth Vader ' s personal Death Squadron . Spacetroopers were used to patrol the outside of the First Death Star . Several spacetroopers served in the Battle of Endor , attacking Rebel ships entering the Second Death Star . Spacetroopers continued to see use after Endor , with Leia requesting that the Rebel forces require training and countermeasures against them . Wedge Antilles , the leader of Rogue Squadron , suggested using starfighter escorts due to the spacetroopers being incapable of handling dogfights , and the General Crix Madine likewise suggested implementing EMP measures due to their effecting spacetroopers . At least nine spacetroopers were deployed during the Battle of Sluis Van in 9 ABY . They were primarily used to board and capture several New Republic ships . By the end of the battle , seven of the spacetroopers had been destroyed , while the remaining two Self - destruct ed , with one crippling a Corvette in the process . Behind the scenes . The Hasbro 2009 version of the Spacetrooper ( Hasbro ' s 2nd Spacetrooper toy , the first based on the Light Spacetrooper armor above ) looks like an ordinary Stormtrooper but with jetpack and attachable breathing apparatus . He is armed with E - 11 blaster rifle and a weapon which resembles a grenade launcher from the Battlefront series . Production photos from " " reveal that effects - designer Joe Johnston was the man behind the mask , leading to speculation from fans that the Hasbro 2009 figure would feature Johnston . Hasbro stated in a June 2008 Q & A that although they could never do Johnston ' s likeness on the Spacetrooper figure , they seemed to joke that there could be a " coincidental resemblance . "