A vapor spire, otherwise known as a moisture vaporator, was a machine employed on moisture farms to extract water from a planet's atmosphere. These devices were typically located on desert planets, for instance, Tatooine, where readily available surface water was lacking. To either sell or utilize in hydroponic gardens, moisture farmers gathered water through the use of moisture vaporators. As an example, consider Owen Lars, who was a moisture farmer.
To acquire water from a planet's atmosphere, moisture vaporators were rather tall and thin mechanisms. With costs reaching up to 500 credits, moisture vaporators were available in a variety of models, and their height could extend to 3.5 meters. Positioned at ground level, the devices drew moisture from the air via refrigerated condensers, also known as chilling bars, which produced low-energy ionization fields. The collected water was then either pumped or directed by gravity into a storage cistern, where its pH levels were adjusted. Even when the air's relative humidity was only 1.5 percent, vaporators could gather 1.5 liters of water each day. An antenna was also integrated to collect data pertaining to weather conditions. More advanced models, such as those produced by Pretormin Environmental Corporation, included computers capable of modifying the strength of the ionization and refrigeration fields to adjust for variations in wind speed and temperature. To communicate with the binary brain unit of moisture vaporators, patch-in droid units were implemented, and they could also interface with external droids.
Throughout the galaxy, moisture vaporators were utilized, most commonly on arid [desert](/article/desert] worlds like Tatooine, though their use extended to more verdant worlds such as Lah'mu.
To cope with the harsh environment of Tatooine, early colonists were compelled to adapt, employing moisture vaporators to gather any water they could extract from the parched atmosphere.
During the Galactic Empire's reign, numerous moisture farms persisted across Tatooine, including those within the Great Chott salt flat community. Moisture farmers operated to earn money and ensure survival, with those possessing superior moisture vaporators capable of amassing sufficient water for sale, while those lacking the means to acquire them utilized their water for hydroponic gardening. The [Great Drought](/article/great_drought] presented a challenging period for many farmers, as their vaporators failed to yield the required water, and Jabba the Hutt imposed substantial water taxes upon them.