I know I posted this somewhere else, but I'll do it again with a few modifications.
Mission Space is not nearly as intense in terms of actually forces acting upon the body as compared to other thrill rides. Most of it's intensity lies not in the system's settings, but in the execution. It's physiological thrill. How many warnings did you receive? How much hype did you hear? More than enough, I'll say, but in reality, M:S is just a dressed-up centrifuge, and a rather tame one at that (as far as centrifuges go). By incorporating the element claustrophobia and the mental perceptions of varied movement, the ride is made more "intense." Now, though, looking at it from a different point of view: M:S has an identity problem. People need to understand that this is not a roller coaster thrill, this is part hypergravity and part physiological thrill. This is not a great example, considering the fate which came to it, but in many ways M:S can be put on a level similar to Alien Encounter.
For better or for worse, we all know the fate that became for AE.
But getting back to the centrifuge idea, let's take this example: Have you ever seen or ridden the Mission:Space-light at your local fair, carnival, or amusement park? Well, they go by many names ("
The Roundup," "
Gravitron," "
Starship 2000," "
Vortex" ), but the concept is the same: achievement of hypergravity, otherwise known as increased pressure on the body in the form of gravitational forces, measured in
G forces. Now, let's look at this logically: M:S is a "death trap," so obviously it must be the most intense centrifuge for civilians!
Well, no.
NASA reports that Gravitrons have been documented at as much as 3.0 sustained g.
Other sources suggest up to 4.0 g. Mission:Space has been confirmed to reach no higher than 2.0 sustained g. For reference, Space Launches are around 3.2 sustained g at launch.
Yes, that Gravitorn down at the fair could be as intense as a space launch.
Mission: Space not only stays far below this mark, it most likely was/is held to the highest standards in the industry. Not to mention, Disney know if something truly is wrong with the ride, there will be a massive PR nightmare.
So, what is it that makes M:S different? It's Disney! The Big Dog! (Or perhaps more appropriately) The Big Cheese! *
In 1998 there were over 20 serious, reported accidents at amusement parks, but guess which one got the most attention? "One dead, three injured after Disneyland accidents," that's what. The simple fact is that Disney is held to a higher standard, and when they fail to meet that the media has a field day.
Sources:
http://exploration.nasa.gov/articles...nggravity.html
http://www.ride-extravaganza.com/rides/gravitron/
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/carcr2.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gee_force
http://www.rideaccidents.com/1998.html#dec24*
*Not completely accurate; does not include every accident
Postscript: Just for note, Sustained g and a regular g force (typically lasting only a few seconds), can be have very different effects on the body. Many roller coasters can pull over,
The Hulk over at Universal pulls a maximum of 4.0 g. The reason for the difference is that most roller coasters pull those forces for no more than a few seconds, Centrifuges can sustain the force a long period of time. Under the stress, the body's organs (most importantly the heart) must work harder than usual to deliver blood. The body is working about twice as hard as usual, working against twice the normal force of gravity. Some people have conditions which make this much harded to cope with, or to put it simply, their body just can't do it. Sometimes these conditions are detected, sometimes they are not. Whether the death of one with such a condition is the fault of the stress-or or the stress-ee, is very much up to debate and the specific circumstances.