Mission: SPACE
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| Park | Epcot | |
|---|---|---|
| Opened | October 9, 2003 | |
| Ride duration | 5 minutes, 38 seconds | |
| Sponsor(s) | ||
| 2003- | Hewlett-Packard | |
Mission: SPACE is a motion simulator thrill ride at Epcot, a theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It simulates what an astronaut might experience aboard a spacecraft on a mission to Mars, from the higher g-forces of blastoff to the speculative hypersleep.
The attraction opened to the public in a "soft opening" mode in July 2003, and celebrated its grand opening on Oct. 9 with a ceremony attended by then Disney CEO Michael Eisner, then HP CEO Carly Fiorina and then NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, as well as several NASA astronauts from its many phases of human space exploration (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, the space shuttle program and two crew members aboard the International Space Station).
Mission: SPACE was built on the former site of Horizons, a dark ride that offered optimistic visions of what life might be like in the future. Horizons closed permanently in 1999 after a few years of sporadic operation; construction began on Mission: SPACE shortly thereafter. Industry estimates put the cost of developing the new attraction at US$100 million.
Initially it was sponsored by Compaq, which began working with Disney Imagineers on the design in April 2000. Hewlett-Packard assumed the sponsorship upon its merger with Compaq in 2002. The simulator hardware used in Mission: SPACE was designed and built by Environmental Tectonics Corporation of Pennsylvania.
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[edit] The experience
Mission: SPACE is meant to simulate astronaut training for the first human mission to Mars aboard the fictional X-2 Deep Space Shuttle in 2036, the seventy-fifth anniversary of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first man in space. (The year 2036 can be deduced from plaques in the attraction's queue celebrating 75 years of human spaceflight, including two faux milestones in the future.) Riders are "trainees" at the fictional International Space Training Center (ISTC), where they are arranged into crews of four before watching an introductory video featuring actors Gary Sinise and Parminder Nagra.
Before boarding the simulators, each rider is assigned an on-board role (navigator, pilot, commander or engineer) and given two tasks to perform during the mission (pressing a specific button when told). For example, one of the commander's buttons initiates the rocket's first-stage separation, and the other activates manual flight control. The spacecraft's on-board computer automatically will perform each task if the rider does not respond to his or her prompt from Mission Control.
The mission includes liftoff from the ISTC, a "slingshot" around the moon for a gravity-assisted boost, a brief period of simulated "hypersleep" (to pass the lengthy time required to reach Mars) and a descent for landing on the Martian surface. As a training exercise, the mission contains several unexpected situations that add to the drama.
The futuristic X-2 vehicle is a three-stage rocket which is said to use several technologies in development today, including aerospike engines, solid hydrogen fuel, an aerobrake and carbon nanotubes.
The attraction queue contains several items and commemorative plaques from past, present and fictional future space missions. Among the items on display are props from the 2000 film Mission to Mars, including the rotating "gravity wheel" from the predecessor X-1 spacecraft, a model of which hangs from the ceiling, and a NASA moon rover from the Apollo program on loan from the Smithsonian Institution.
Upon conclusion of the training exercise, guests are invited to participate in activities at the Advanced Training Lab, a post-show area containing a group game called Mission: SPACE Race in which players perform tasks as Mission Control technicians aiding two X-2 spacecraft racing to return to Earth; a space-themed play area for toddlers; a single-person, arcade-style game in which an astronaut explores Mars on foot; and a kiosk where brief video postcards can be created and sent via e-mail.
[edit] Ride mechanics
The attraction is a centrifuge which achieves the illusion of speed by spinning and tilting sealed capsules during the four-minute "mission." Fans blow air gently at the riders to help avoid motion sickness, and a magnified display in front of each rider simulates a window to space with high-resolution computer-generated imagery. Mission: SPACE is comprised of four separate centrifuges, each with 10 capsules holding four riders.
The attraction exposes riders to forces up to 2G, twice the force of gravity (effectively doubling a rider's weight). During testing close to the ride's public opening, the ride supposedly was set to exert greater forces on riders (rumors state a maximum of 3G to 5G), but reports are that this was lowered after a significant number of riders complained of nausea. A few months after the ride's opening, motion sickness bags were added within easy reach of riders. Because of this, Mission Space is now the first theme park ride in history to provide motion sickness bags.
[edit] Motion sickness and injuries
The minimum height requirement for Mission: SPACE is 44 inches (112 cm). Warnings throughout the attraction caution that people who do not like enclosed spaces, spinning, or are prone to motion sickness should not ride. Signs also warn that the ride may cause nausea, headache, dizziness or disorientation, and that people prone to motion sickness, or who have a headache or an inner ear problem, or who have a history of migraines, vertigo or elevated anxiety also should not ride. These signs are similar to those present at considerably less-intense rides in the same park, such as Soarin'.
Several people have been taken to local hospitals for chest pain and nausea after riding. Most who complained of these symptoms were over 55 years old. Two people have died after completing the ride.
On May 19, 2006, Disney began offering a "lite" version of Mission: SPACE (called Green Team), where the centrifuge does not spin, thus eliminating the forces of lateral acceleration for riders who choose the more tame experience. The cabs themselves still pitch and pivot, providing some motion. The normal ride is still available and is called Orange Team.[1]
[edit] Attraction facts
- Grand Opening: October 9, 2003
- Theme Design: Walt Disney Imagineering
- Design and Manufacturing: Environmental Tectonics Corporation
- Sponsor: Hewlett-Packard
- Show Length: 5:38
- Height Requirement: 44"
- Ride System: Interactive centrifuge
- Number of Centrifuges: 4
- Centrifuge theme: Spacecraft cockpit
- Capsules per Centrifuge: 10
- Riders per Capsule: 4
- Capacity: 1,600 riders per hour
(*The ride orginaly was built with a single rider line, but that was removed to become the green team standby line.)
- The Horizons logo, in homage to the attraction replaced by Mission: SPACE, is on display at the center of the rotating "gravity wheel" in the queue.
- The attraction is capable of a throughput of over 1,600 riders per hour if all forty capsules are running correctly.
- Environmental Tectonics Corporation, the manufacturer of the centrifuges, also provided the pitch and roll simulators for Cyberspace Mountain in DisneyQuest.
[edit] References
- Mission:Space Trivia and Fun Facts. disneyworldtrivia.com. Retrieved on April 27, 2006.
- April 2006 Death on Mission: Space. WFTV. Retrieved on April 27, 2006.
- Mission: SPACE. WDWHistory.com. Retrieved on April 27, 2006.
