SilverWook said:
It was the same prop built for Empire. They sealed it up in plastic, and put it in storage until Jedi went into production.
Why they didn't use it for at least part of the rebel hangar sequence baffles me. That wasn't the best matte painting ILM ever did.
I bet all the sand from the sandstorm scene really wrecked the prop. It's rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like CGI. With CGI, everything is soft and smooth.