OK, enough with the rumors. What do we know for certain about Mission: SPACE?
The setting is the International Training Space Center and the time is in the not-too-distant future. Interstellar travel has become more or less routine, and guests like you come to the center to see if they have the right stuff to become astronauts.
The outside of the attraction, with its swooping arches and colorful planetary orbs is striking. Before they enter the building and the queue, guests can check out the Recruiting Center to determine if they'll be able to handle the ride. Signs include warnings about claustrophobia and motion sickness. Imagineers say that the huge monitors in this area will show footage of the ride experience to help educate guests. The challenge for Disney will be to not spoil the attraction by giving away too much. That's going to be tough, since this is a one-of-a-kind ride and will require a good dose of explaining.
The first part of the queue winds through the Simulation Lab. Along one wall is an enormous zero-gravity wheel. With multiple rooms and spinning 360 degrees, the impressive wheel shows how astronauts might train for weightless conditions in space. The area also houses an actual lunar rover vehicle on loan from the Smithsonian.
Then it's on to Training Operations where banks of monitors prep guests for their missions to the Red Planet. The "Ready Room" introduces CapCom, the NASA ground control stand-in. Finally, guests proceed to Mission Briefing and the space capsules.
Crews will consist of a pilot, navigator, engineer, and a commander. (Can't you hear the whining already? "No, I want to be the commander!") Crew members will have specific duties to execute, but they will only subtly alter the ride experience. The ride itself will last about five minutes.
The post-show area includes Postcards from Space kiosks where guests will be able to send email messages from Mars, Space Base, a children's playground area, Expedition: Mars, individual computer terminals that will enable guests to explore Mars, and Space Race, an elaborate video game challenge that pits two 30-person teams against each other.
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