I wish Disney would buy a space shuttle

[musketeer]

On M:S, as you reach orbit you have several moments of simulated zero G. The effect is created by a freefall. I'm not sure of the actual mechanism, but the ride capsule is dropped, obviously in a controlled manner, creating the illusion of zero G.

This is actually an accurate representation, because true zero G is not achieved by orbiting space craft. The craft is in a state of constant freefall. Even on the shuttle zero G is an illusion created by the craft hurtling towards the Earth. The craft is placed at an angle that it constantly falls, but never hits the Earth. This is the way over simplified version.

But back to my original point, I really enjoy the zero G, or constant freefall effect, on M:S.

I know exactly the point you are talking about, and I still don't believe you are at zero G. I think the combination of the stopping of spinning of the ride vehilce, coupled with tilting the whole thing forward, makes you think you are at zero G, but you aren't.

And I don't believe the ride is tall enough to create zero g using freefall for any reasonable amount of time. It would only be for fractions of a second. Think about the tower of terror, you are in free fall in that ride (actually i think you are at negative g's) for just a few moments at a time, and look how high that ride has to be for that.

If you truly were at zero g in the ride, then you shoud be able to hold a baseball right in front of you, let it go, and it would stay right there. I'm willing to bet that wouldn't happen.

By tilting the ride forward (my guess as to how they do it), then you feel less pull straight down, but you feel more pressure on the shoulder restraint.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

I have no idea how achieved, but the illusion and sensation works flawlessly.


A little too well, IMHO. :lol:

 

[musketeer]

Think about it like this, if it really was free-fall that is used, the ride vehicle would have to be go up and down a significant height. Plus, you'd have to be slowed down at the bottom before you crash into the floor/bottom/whatever is below the ride vehicle.

Assuming that they didn't have to slow you down, and that there is no air resistance, then to get 1 second of free fall, you'd need to go up 4 feet, then down 4 feet. For 2 seconds, you'd have to go up 16 feet then down 16 feet.

3 seconds 36 ft
4 seconds 64 ft
5 seconds 100 ft

I don't think the building is that tall. Unless there is a deep pit, but I don't think that is likely either.

In fact, I bet the centifuges stay on the same horizontal plane the whole time. I'll keep saying it, but I'm certain it is an illusion that the change from high g's back down to normal, added to tilting the vehicle forward, makes you feel lighter.

Maybe someone who is going soon could do the experiment of seeing if an object will float in front of them during the "zero g" part of the ride. I'm certain that it will just fall.

 

[fosse76]

It's not out of the question. Disney did partner with McDonald's to buy a dinosaur skeleton. They donated the original to the Field Museum in Chicago for study, but got authentic replicas to use in and around Dinosaur at AK.

That's not quite right. The Field Museum won the auction for the t-rex with financial backing from Disney and McDonald's. The Field Museum then offered to open a restoration lab at DAK (most of the work was done in public view in Chicago) and made, I believe, two complete replicas.

I could see it happening if they got the right corporate partner. It would be an amazing draw, it would fit the EPCOT theme perfectly, and it would lend some serious credibility. It would also be great to see what Disney would do with such a piece. I do think it would have been more likely a few years ago while M:S was being developed, but a revamp for something this special isn't out of the question.

I think NASA is being very specific about who is eligible to purchase the shuttles. And they are only selling two (they may sell a prototype that is currently at the Smithsonian). The buyers must put the shuttles on public display and they must be stored indoors.

 

[fosse76]

Think about it like this, if it really was free-fall that is used, the ride vehicle would have to be go up and down a significant height. Plus, you'd have to be slowed down at the bottom before you crash into the floor/bottom/whatever is below the ride vehicle.

Assuming that they didn't have to slow you down, and that there is no air resistance, then to get 1 second of free fall, you'd need to go up 4 feet, then down 4 feet. For 2 seconds, you'd have to go up 16 feet then down 16 feet.

3 seconds 36 ft
4 seconds 64 ft
5 seconds 100 ft

I don't think the building is that tall. Unless there is a deep pit, but I don't think that is likely either.

In fact, I bet the centifuges stay on the same horizontal plane the whole time. I'll keep saying it, but I'm certain it is an illusion that the change from high g's back down to normal, added to tilting the vehicle forward, makes you feel lighter.

Maybe someone who is going soon could do the experiment of seeing if an object will float in front of them during the "zero g" part of the ride. I'm certain that it will just fall.

Not to be offensive, but as been stated SEVERAL times, it is a SIMULATED SENSATION...an effect. You aren't actually at zero G. Zero G is the term used to indicate a lack of gravitational pull. That isn't really even achieved in space, since the gravity of earth is constantly pulling objects toward it. My understanding is that M:S is actually slightly tamed from its original design, which was a near-exact duplication of forces of space flight. I personally think they should restore the "green" side to normal. If you can't ride the ride as it was intended to be ridden, don't ride it. Like people who go on water rides with ponchos. If you don't want to get wet, why ride? :shrug:

 

[stlbobby]

I have no idea how achieved, but the illusion and sensation works flawlessly.


A little too well, IMHO. :lol:

Exactly.

Musketeer:

I'm not sure why you are quibbling over how the effect is achieved.

I said before it is simulated. I assumed through a drop, but even admitted I didn't know the mechanism.

What I originally said was I enjoyed the zero G moment, and was told by a different poster that there wan't a zero G moment and I was confusing it with the 3 G acceleration.

I'm not confused there is a point on the ride where you feel weightless. Not only have I experienced this myself it is the reason so many people become sick. It was also the big selling point when the ride opened--experience zero G--until people kept puking and even died.

They even had astronauts ride it and verify the veracity of the effect. Several stated it was the most accurate ground based simulator they had ever been on.

 

[stlbobby]

That's not quite right. The Field Museum won the auction for the t-rex with financial backing from Disney and McDonald's. The Field Museum then offered to open a restoration lab at DAK (most of the work was done in public view in Chicago) and made, I believe, two complete replicas.

How is this different from what I wrote?

I think NASA is being very specific about who is eligible to purchase the shuttles. And they are only selling two (they may sell a prototype that is currently at the Smithsonian). The buyers must put the shuttles on public display and they must be stored indoors.

I know NASA wants the shuttles preserved. I never said anything about putting them outside--other posters made those comments, and mostly in jest.

Of course Disney would have to follow NASA guidelines and keep the shuttles preserved and accessible. Was it really necessary for me to type all those qualifiers?

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I know enough to know that its weightless, and the family origins of the small step dude.

:lol:

 

[stlbobby]

Not to be offensive, but as been stated SEVERAL times, it is a SIMULATED SENSATION...an effect. You aren't actually at zero G. Zero G is the term used to indicate a lack of gravitational pull. That isn't really even achieved in space, since the gravity of earth is constantly pulling objects toward it. My understanding is that M:S is actually slightly tamed from its original design, which was a near-exact duplication of forces of space flight. I personally think they should restore the "green" side to normal. If you can't ride the ride as it was intended to be ridden, don't ride it. Like people who go on water rides with ponchos. If you don't want to get wet, why ride? :shrug:

I've heard both that the intense version is exactly as it originally was, and that it has been tamed a bit.

Does anyone know for sure the truth?

And to the OP, sorry for taking this thread on all kinds of tangents.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Exactly.

Musketeer:

I'm not sure why you are quibbling over how the effect is achieved.

I said before it is simulated. I assumed through a drop, but even admitted I didn't know the mechanism.

What I originally said was I enjoyed the zero G moment, and was told by a different poster that there wan't a zero G moment and I was confusing it with the 3 G acceleration.

I'm not confused there is a point on the ride where you feel weightless. Not only have I experienced this myself it is the reason so many people become sick. It was also the big selling point when the ride opened--experience zero G--until people kept puking and even died.

They even had astronauts ride it and verify the veracity of the effect. Several stated it was the most accurate ground based simulator they had ever been on.

Wait. I'm confused.

You know there's no REAL "zero G" in the M:S attraction, right? It's a great effect, but it's not REAL.

The only way to do real "zero G" in our atmosphere is to ride the "Vomit Comet"... And even then it's creating "zero G" within the confines of the physics of gravity.

In space, there is no gravity. No "g". Hence... True "zero G".

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

And no one can hear you scream

 

[stlbobby]

Wait. I'm confused.

You know there's no REAL "zero G" in the M:S attraction, right? It's a great effect, but it's not REAL.

The only way to do real "zero G" in our atmosphere is to ride the "Vomit Comet"... And even then it's creating "zero G" within the confines of the physics of gravity.

In space, there is no gravity. No "g". Hence... True "zero G".

I tried to explain this several posts back.

On M:S, as you reach orbit you have several moments of simulated zero G. The effect is created by a freefall. I'm not sure of the actual mechanism, but the ride capsule is dropped, obviously in a controlled manner, creating the illusion of zero G.

This is actually an accurate representation, because true zero G is not achieved by orbiting space craft. The craft is in a state of constant freefall. Even on the shuttle zero G is an illusion created by the craft hurtling towards the Earth. The craft is placed at an angle that it constantly falls, but never hits the Earth. This is the way over simplified version.

But back to my original point, I really enjoy the zero G, or constant freefall effect, on M:S.

Even in orbit zero G is a misnomer. It is the vernacular for the effect of constant freefall. But since most people refer to that sensation as zero G, I did too. I also stated I did not know the mechanism by which they achieved the effect, but it simulated the sensations felt in orbit.

Essentially zero G is always a simulation or effect, whether on a space shuttle, a 747, or M:S. There is no true zero G.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I tried to explain this several posts back.



Even in orbit zero G is a misnomer. It is the vernacular for the effect of constant freefall. But since most people refer to that sensation as zero G, I did too. I also stated I did not know the mechanism by which they achieved the effect, but it simulated the sensations felt in orbit.

Essentially zero G is always a simulation or effect, whether on a space shuttle, a 747, or M:S. There is no true zero G.

Mkay, but you also said the ride vehicle "fell". So pardon me for asking for clarification.

Since you don't seem to be good at civil discussions, let me be clear:

There is no zero G in M:S (as you said there was). Astronauts never said there was (as you said they did). They said it was the closest sensation to zero G as they had felt. That sensation is created by a series of effects that trick your brain into thinking that's what's happening, but it's not.

People didn't die on M:S because of intensity of the attraction (as you said), and people don't get sick because it has a "zero G" moment (as you said). The vast majority of people that get sick, do so because of the spinning of the centrifuge, plus the video, plus the turning program of the capsules. It's a motion sickness caused by your brain thinking different sensations than what your body is feeling. It confuses your body. That's it.

 

[stlbobby]

Mkay, but you also said the ride vehicle "fell". So pardon me for asking for clarification.

Since you don't seem to be good at civil discussions, let me be clear:

There is no zero G in M:S (as you said there was). Astronauts never said there was (as you said they did). They said it was the closest sensation to zero G as they had felt. That sensation is created by a series of effects that trick your brain into thinking that's what's happening, but it's not.

People didn't die on M:S because of intensity of the attraction (as you said), and people don't get sick because it has a "zero G" moment (as you said). The vast majority of people that get sick, do so because of the spinning of the centrifuge, plus the video, plus the turning program of the capsules. It's a motion sickness caused by your brain thinking different sensations than what your body is feeling. It confuses your body. That's it.

Please read more carefully.

I said there was a zero G moment. I said several times I do not know what mechanism achieves that moment. I said several times that is is an effect, just as it is on the 747 simulators, just as it is on an orbiting space craft.

There is no real zero G. When a spacecraft is in orbit the weightless feeling comes from the constant freefall. The astronauts don't float on the shuttle because they are too far away from Earth to experience gravity. It is an effect. Just as it is on M:S. They may be achieved differently, but both are just effects.

That effect is what makes people sick for the most part. Aren't the effect and the mechanism behind it, the spinning or dropping, the same thing? So if I say the effect makes someone sick and you say it is the mechanism, aren't we saying the same thing? So why are you quibbling?

I also never said the effect killed anyone. I said WDW stopped pushing the zero G in marketing after someone died. I'm not sure at what moment or the specific physical sensation that killed him and I never claimed to.

I never said astronauts said there was zero G on M:S. I said:

They even had astronauts ride it and verify the veracity of the effect. Several stated it was the most accurate ground based simulator they had ever been on.

As for civil discussions, I simply stated I enjoyed the zero G effect on M:S. I have since been attacked, and told I am confused and wrong. I have calmly defended my point repeatedly. I have not attacked anyone personally. I am just reiterating my assertions and defending my stance.

I am confused on one thing. Why are so many people nit-picking and quibbling over such a trivial point?

 

[musketeer]

(this is not arguing any discussion from above, just an interesting addition)

When you are in an orbiting space shuttle/space station/whatever, did you know that if you aren't at the exact center of mass of that vehicle, then you will tend to move away from it.

So if you are on the space station, and are "higher" than the center of mass of the station, then you'll slowly tend to go outwards, away from earth.

Conversely, if you are closer to the earth than the center of mass, you'll tend to fall towards earth, slowly.

This is because you are on a very slightly different orbit, and if you are closer to earth, you are going just a little bit slower than the required orbital velocity to maintain that orbit, so you fall. Same thing when you are higher, you are going just a little faster than required for that orbit, so you go away from earth.

Again, not arguing anything from before, just like talking about space.

 

[stlbobby]

I did know there was a "floating" or "current" effect in orbit, but I didn't know why.

Now I do, thanks.

 

[musketeer]

The only way to do real "zero G" in our atmosphere is to ride the "Vomit Comet"... And even then it's creating "zero G" within the confines of the physics of gravity.

That's not quite true. There are lots of ways. If you are on anything that is accelerating down at the rate at which gravity would pull it, then you would be floating. And you only have to be accelerating down, you can still be going straight up and acclerating down. So if you were inside of a cannon ball going straight up (assuming you could survive the acceleration due to launch), you would feel weightless all the way up and all the way down.

So an elevator falling (without wind resitance) would count.

Also, NASA has a several hundred foot deep shaft straight down that they remove as much air from as possible, then place experiments in a vehicle, and drop it down the shaft to get several seconds of no gravity (5 +/- seconds).

It then falls into this pit of sand or something to stop it. It's very cool.