The Republic Special Weapons Group was an organization tasked with creating cutting-edge weaponry for the Galactic Republic's military. Critically, it initiated the construction of the Death Star battle station. Following the transition to the Galactic Empire, it was reorganized and renamed Project Celestial Power, operating under the Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research.
Even with the Galactic Republic's general dedication to peace during its final years, the Special Weapons Group existed as early as 32 BBY. After the Battle of Naboo, it conceived designs for both an automated battlemoon asteroid and a torpedo siege platform. However, due to a perceived lack of need and insufficient funding, neither progressed beyond the design phase.
During the Clone Wars, the group was placed under the control of the Strategic Advisory Cell. After receiving the purportedly captured Geonosian schematics for the "Ultimate Weapon," the group, led by Professor Sahali, began the process of building the mobile battle station before the [Separatists](/article/confederacy_of_independent_systems] could. To accomplish this, it secretly enlisted the Republic's foremost scientific minds, including Doctor Gubacher and Lieutenant Commander Orson Krennic. Krennic then recruited other prominent scientists, such as Reeva Demesne and Galen Walton Erso, into the program, while concealing the true objective of their research.
With the end of the war and the reformation of the Republic into the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, the group was transformed into the Imperial Project Celestial Power, under the Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research. Krennic eventually rose to command this department.