Spaceship in Spaceship Earth

Here are some flash pictures from a couple of days ago. The ride stopped for 10 minutes in both places over the course of a couple of rides, which worked out really well. I took super night vision with my camcorder too and will see if anything good is in there.

First shot looking at the back of the screen, taken just before the descent begins. There are masts holding up the screen on both sides with cables run to keep them from falling down. I think this is what people thought they were seeing as the satellite (you can see the earth projection off in the distance).



This is the other mast taken from just below the screen, looking to the rider's right.



This is looking up and to the right from just past the screen.



This is what is above your head in this area. Isn't this where the astronauts used to be hanging?



This is across the track from the new classroom scene. Nothing at all on that large wall except for sound panels. You can see a MAJOR remnant from the previous space shuttle scene on the right of the picture. They just painted it black.



Another look at that same wall.



Is THIS where the girl was looking out the window? There's a large spot that could have easily been a window (this is the ONLY place in the whole scene that looked like it could have been the window, the rest was all covered with this sound panel stuff.)



Another look at the window?



Looking up again at where the astronauts might have been. This is a little further back from the earlier picture (closer to the classroom scene.)



So, it doesn't look like anything is really left except for the obvious object where the window might have been.

Oh, and the purple nebulous projection that you see just after the safety video at the beginning is now Siemens blue.

Wow, great work getting those shots.

Those are REALLY good!!! Nice job!

That proabably was where the girl was! You said you got a video right?

biggbird5182 said:

That proabably was where the girl was! You said you got a video right?

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Sounds interesting... better read the whole thread now!

Wish me luck!:king:

WOW WOW WOW *bows down* thank you SO MUCH!!! We must keep this thread active for future reference with the previous posters for tomorrow and the days to follow. Can you by any chance post your video you took in supernightshot?


As for the astronaut(s) they literally were on the satellite dish and since that is gone, so are they. To my knowlege and of the vintage flash photo on wdwmagic, the satellite was a separate entinty and was not directly connected to the spacestation.

Great work with those flash pictures! It's great to see some more distinct images of what's still up there.

DisneyDellsDude said:

Sounds interesting... better read the whole thread now!

Wish me luck!:king:

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Good luck! I got so lucky, I started reading it the first day it was posted!

biggbird5182 said:

This is probably the most interesting thread I've ever been apart of! I love reading it and seeing all of the peoples "clues" and old pictures and movies and stuff. It's GREAT!

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I second that. I never knew about this part of SSE's history and want to give a big thank you to all of those who have shared their media files and research to help solve this quandry. I've really enjoyed reading this.

-Aaron

PBarton said:

I am not joking, it was as clear as anything! There was a lot of light being cast over that area and it was impossible to miss.

I originally thought it was part of the structure, like a support, but on closer inspection it was about 20 feet high, and such an odd shape that it must have been part of the scene.

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At the top of the descent the only thing I could see was the support mast for the screen, and it's just a mast. Down farther is the object with the "window". That's pretty well lit by the classroom screen fortunately.

PBarton said:

What do you make of the moon rock I was talking about immediately to the right of the vehicle? It was so close that you could nearly touch it. As you descended out of the space scene, there was quite an expanse of this material.

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Dusty duvateen covering what look like AC ducts all alongside the track.

PBarton said:

Like I said, It was much brighter than normal, we could see black curtain everywhere - esp when travelling down the tunnel with all the fibre optics.

Has nobody ever evaced from the top of the ride? How bright are the lights when then come on?

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Unfortunately all of the lights are directed downward, kind of in your eyes so the dome is not very well lit at all. The area in front of you when you are sideways contains nothing that looks like a satellite or any panels that I saw. It is very dusty up there though.

There ARE three mounting points up in the inside top of the dome (you can see them on the ceiling with your naked eyes) that a maintenance guy told me were mount points for the astronauts. I didn't think much of it at the time as I thought they were much lower in the dome, but I guess reading everybody else's comments it COULD be. They're dead center top and they're NOT the access hatch for going topside (that is off to the right, just over the top of the boy/girl scene at the end.)

Wow, those pictures of the leftover space shuttle piece are creepy. It looks like something from TRON. Very nice job.

yep you found it there is still an anamatronic left in that thing

Well.... what can I say? Superb. Thanks for your efforts, Beanboon. We finally have an idea of the shape and size of the space station (a month or so ago even I didn`t know of the station; just the astro & Satellite)

I have the impression that, yes, the girl was in the window shape area on the flash pic. Can you better describe where this window shape is? I got the impression it was just around the start of the descent, to the right and up. In my 1990 video (with heavy enhancement) just before you begin the descent you pass the satellite close by on the right. As you begin to tip back you can see the girl above and to the right (almost behind you) and then a few seconds later pass under the red lighting strips, which I always considered to be at the top of the descent (though I guess could be further down, nearer todays classroom)

Please keep us informed if the video footage shows anymore (or even gives a better overall idea of where things are)

marni1971 said:

I have the impression that, yes, the girl was in the window shape area on the flash pic. Can you better describe where this window shape is? I got the impression it was just around the start of the descent, to the right and up. In my 1990 video (with heavy enhancement) just before you begin the descent you pass the satellite close by on the right. As you begin to tip back you can see the girl above and to the right (almost behind you) and then a few seconds later pass under the red lighting strips, which I always considered to be at the top of the descent (though I guess could be further down, nearer todays classroom)

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I can try and illuminate this; I was at WDW last month and rode SE several times. Once, on descent, I spent a lot of time turned around looking backwards. I thought I was clever to discover the remaining part of the space station; I didn't know it was a topic of discussion! Guess it was lucky that I looked.

Anyway, when you turn around it's amazing how sharp the drop is. You can't tell facing forward, but the track really goes down at a steep grade.

If you look backwards as you pass under the news screen the track curves rather like a question mark: ?

The dot is where the news screen is, and the curve on the right takes you by the ADD classroom of the future. As you curve counterclockwise along the top you pass into the much smaller passage with all the mirrors and lights.

The remaining part of the space station is right above the entrance to this passage. It's directly behind and to the right of you if you're sitting under the news screen, but rather far away since the curve is so wide and the grade so steep.

I hope this makes any sense; I didn't know I was observing all this for posterity so I didn't make a point to pay that much attention. I was just amused to see that part of the station was still there!

I just hope when they rehab they clean up that whole area. There's so much light pollution that you can see everything around you and the special effect of space is lost. You can see all the ratty insulation and scrims, and the noise pollution from the unnecessary multiple safety warnings ruin the mood.


michael

MiklCraw4d said:

the ADD classroom of the future.

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LOL.

BTW, the end of that scene leads into "infinite gas clouds", then the futuristic city, then the finale corridor, then unload. Pardon my geekiness.

Just read the whole thread, which I had previously skipped due to it's length. Thank god I made myself read this. You guys really are the best. The feeling of seeing the historic things around WDW is indescribable to a WDW nut such as myself. So, again....can't thank you enough. Threads and topics like these are TRULY what this board should be about. It really makes all the petty crap that usually dominates the forum seem even more like petty crap (if that's possible, ha).

I'll be sure to pay extra close attention to getting more pics such as those above from SE, and possibly other attractions on my next visit, and you can be sure of who I'll share them with first.

This thread is EXCELLENT!!! I love reading it!!! You guys are awesome!

I've taken the liberty of adding the location of the space station to your drawing, Martin. Here it is:



The space station is directly across the octagon from the classroom and directly over the tunnel entrance. The walls to the left and right of the classroom and old space station are sound panels and nothing else (except maybe some water stains). I could clearly see that in my night shot video. I'll post screen shots or upload it once I dump it into my PC here.

I don't think the area where the news screen is now was ever covered like you've drawn, rather I think the red lights might have been mounted on the angles of the roof of the octagon area (look at the angles in the pictures that I took and see if you agree). I imagine something interesting must have been where the classroom is now as you get such a good look at it.

There is PLENTY of room as you are spiraling down on your right for the satellite to have been mounted (just past the news screen as you descend).

And having the ride stop where it did and looking up into the dome was fantastic. It REALLY looked like you were moving with the space station set against the stars.

marni1971 said:

Well.... what can I say? Superb. Thanks for your efforts, Beanboon. We finally have an idea of the shape and size of the space station (a month or so ago even I didn`t know of the station; just the astro & Satellite)

I have the impression that, yes, the girl was in the window shape area on the flash pic. Can you better describe where this window shape is? I got the impression it was just around the start of the descent, to the right and up. In my 1990 video (with heavy enhancement) just before you begin the descent you pass the satellite close by on the right. As you begin to tip back you can see the girl above and to the right (almost behind you) and then a few seconds later pass under the red lighting strips, which I always considered to be at the top of the descent (though I guess could be further down, nearer todays classroom)

Please keep us informed if the video footage shows anymore (or even gives a better overall idea of where things are)

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Beanboon,

No probs. Change away!

I`m surprised you think the satellite was so far down - not that you are wrong, I always thought it was up in the planetarium. I agree with your comment too about the red strip lights being mounted on the octagon - it does look the right shape. I`m re rendering my 1990 video right now with a rediculous level of enhancement; I`ll narrate what I see.

Okay... come out of the ascent tunnel and pan right. There is Earth. Lots of murk. A long pan to the right (visable stars are a good reference) and there`s the satellite, slightly above the ride position. It dosn`t seem we have begun the descent yet. Now we have, a few seconds later - I tilted the camera up slightly and the satellite was directly above, but further away. Immiediate pan right and down to the girl (she`s on the same level as I am) and we are descending and turning to the left (that is turning on our right shoulder if you get my drift) then pan left and up, and in a second or two the red strip lights are visable. We are still turning, almost spiraling. The red lights seem to be on a level with the girl, or very close. Quite a lot of murky nothing, then on either side of the track are the red rotating pattern projections - we are now curving on our left shoulder slightly, and still descending. Once past the rotating patterns its straight into the Tomorrows Child screens.

From looking at another video, I`d say the red strip lights were fixed to a framework - nothing really solid. I think I can also more or less verify this framework is in beenboons 3rd & last picture on the previous page. The shape is too close a match. This framework must be the top of the octogon. See the circular cut out in these photos too? That matches perfectly where the dark glass `dome` with flashing lights used to be too.

One more thing; the red rotating pattern projections are at the start of the `tunnel` - that is, where there is a roof above us as we go down a floor. Previous to this you can still see up around the props to SSEs ceiling.

And it`s so frustrating watching the camera pan to what we know must be the space station area, but all that comes out is murk. I`m not sure if this has answered any questions or started more!

Awesome!