Since the brand new copy of the original track is built with a bulkier 21st century coaster track, the entire ride structure will weigh many tons more than the 1977 original did. There are still months and months of work left on simply preparing the original foundation, digging an additional five feet out for a lower floor, and retrofitting new support structures inside the original dome. And all of that is just in preparation for the actual track installation that is scheduled for late this year.
Speaking of Space Mountain's surprise return to white, that's not actually white "paint" on the exterior of Space Mountain. While the uppermost section of the dome was painted the traditional way, the dome itself was actually layered with a new building material that has a pre-selected color infused into the panel material itself.
The WDI artists selected a very specific color of "Space Mountain white" for the panels, and then the manufacturer brought the pre-fabricated panels to the Anaheim site for installation. The top section of the dome was then painted with a color that matches the paneling perfectly. Those new roof panels will never need actual painting, and they are supposed to remain bright and durable for decades to come (not to mention WHITE).
