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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. 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. 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 grenades, and stun grenades; 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.
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