Mission: SPACE, presented by HP is the incredibly realistic new attraction that launches you on a simulated space adventure to Mars - from pulse-racing lift-off to journey into deep space.

Presented by HP, this thrilling adventure features a one-of-a kind "astronaut-like" experience in which you'll undergo the training required for space travel and encounter challenges faced by real astronauts.

The setting for the attraction is several decades into the future at the International Space Training Center. As the "crew" selected for this ultimate space mission, you will head to the dispatch area and then move to the Ready Room where you will receive a history of astronaut training and are given your role during the mission -- as the commander, pilot, navigator or engineer.

Then it's on to the pre-flight corridor to load into the spacecraft, receive final briefings from CapCom and buckle in for liftoff. When the countdown reaches zero, the most unique and exhilarating ride experience ever begins. The earth begins to rumble, white clouds of exhaust start to stir as the ascent toward the sky starts and you are rocketed into the galaxies. You hear from CapCom and are asked to perform vital tasks that will land the spacecraft safely on Mars. You will assume the role of Commander, Pilot, Navigator or Engineer. But there is no mission without surprise as you encounter unexpected twists, turns and other challenges that test every astronaut. Quick thinking and fast reactions are needed by each crew member to successfully complete the mission.


Did You Know?

It took more than 650 Walt Disney Imagineers more than 350,000 hours (the equivalent of 40 years of time) to develop Mission: SPACE. The Imagineers' efforts took place over a five-year period.

The 29 missions that the United States and the Soviet Union sent to the moon between 1959 and 1976 are each designated on the moon sphere in the Planetary Plaza of Mission: SPACE.

Nearly 100 shades of red were mocked up before Imagineers decided on the color of the red planet that dominates the dramatic façade of Mission: SPACE.

Jupiter, at 16 feet in diameter, is the biggest celestial body in the Planetary Plaza of Mission: SPACE. Earth is 10 feet in diameter and the moon is 12 feet in diameter. (As they exist in our galaxy, Earth is 7,926 miles in diameter; the moon is 2,160 miles in diameter and Jupiter is 88,700 miles in diameter.)

It would take 13,136,640 jellybeans to fill the Earth sphere in Planetary Plaza; 22,702,080 to fill the moon sphere and 53,809,920 to fill the Jupiter sphere.

In Mission: SPACE each guest performs a role vital to the mission -- commander, pilot, navigator or engineer. Here are some legendary astronauts that have performed those same roles:

Commander:
- Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11
- Jim Lovell, Apollo 13
- Alan Shepard, Apollo 14

Pilot:
- John Glenn, Friendship 7
- Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11

Engineer (Mission Specialist):
- Dr. Sally Ride, STS 7

Looking Ahead: Guests travel in the X-2 rocket on their mission to Mars. The design of the rocket is based on advanced propulsion technology, which could conceivably take astronauts into deep space in the future.

Futures Past: Close inspection of the Gravity Wheel reveals the logo for the one-time Epcot attraction Horizons affixed to the hub of the wheel. Horizons, which was located on the site of Mission: SPACE, featured a look at plausible future habitats, including ... space!

Trevor Rabin, a one-time member of the rock band Yes and a prolific composer of motion picture scores, composed the music for Mission: SPACE.

They Said It: There are 10 legendary quotes by famed space explorers and supporters of space exploration located around the walls of Planetary Plaza. They include:

-"Look upward...From this world to the heavens" Plato

-"The Universe...stands continually open to our gaze..." Galileo Galilei

- "We set sail on this new sea because there is knowledge to be gained..." President John F. Kennedy