Spaceship in Spaceship Earth

[DisneyDellsDude]

I have now caught up with the thread and it's great!

Unfortunatly, my first trip to WDW was in 99'.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

:sohappy: This is all very interesting.

I wonder though is it possible that there really were two to three astronauts working on the satellite in the MIDDLE of 180top back in the early years of SSE, but for whatever reason the satellite was moved near the earth projection with only one astronaut, and the satellite was held by a mechanical arm. During the 1994 rehab the satellite was originally going to stay and be repositioned once again in 180top, but various problems plagued it, and the astronaut and solar panels were removed. If in fact anything of the satellite exists in 180top it is clearly no longer visible.

Martin would u be able to post your video of 180top enhanced on DC torrents or geoffreynease? It'd be great to see the satellite within in a ridethrough. :sohappy:

 

[blakesse06]

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.

the window with the woman in it was located in the space shuttle also the sattlite would of been located closer toward the shuttle,also the network tunnel ends wherre the track starts in youre pic if thats what you ment by the white streaks but outher than that it looks like 180 top and the red lights would be right under the shuttle hope this helps

 

[beanboon]

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.

The large cylindrical item shown in my pictures is DEFINATELY where I've drawn it. I don't know where the satellite was though. I couldn't find any evidence.

In looking at the picture that was posted of the satellite, do you (or anybody else) have any idea what the blue shapes are beyond? I would have thought they'd be part of the octagon roof, which puts the satellite in the octagon, but I don't know.

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!

 

[Fievel]

Hey guys...I just want to say thanks for all the work on this thread. Stuff like this is what has kept me around for over 5 years!

 

[marni1971]

Woah.... Expo - good question. It never occured to me the satellite was moved between 82 and 94. I doubt it was during the `86 rehab since the pavillion was only closed for 4 days (but it`s possible) - the photo of it reffered to by us clearly shows the `arm` and also the position of it being right of the track, just before descent. Whether it was moved here is a good point. I`m one of those who could have sworn there were more than one astronaut originally, but my first ride was in 1987 so the memory could be playing tricks.

blake; I still can`t remember or find any more info about there being a shuttle (the EPCOT Center book aside) but having the satellite held by the robot arm does suggest it.

beanboon; yep, your cylinder position does make sense. Planet7`s pics verify this I believe. This being the case, the girl in my video wasn`t in this cylinder; the parrallax movement suggests she is to the right of the track.

About the enhanced video; there really isn`t much to see. The camera was SVHS which helped resolution, but it was a 3 chip semi pro model (Panasonic AG450) and so didn`t handle low light well; 3 lux was it`s minimum. Believe me, you can`t see the satellite properly. You can make out a fuzz of dots that is the parabolic dish, and the leading edge of the astronaut. If you didn`t know what you`re looking at you wouldn`t know. I`ve used the best bits in my almost complete ultimate tribute video to SSE86 & Communicore; I`ve had to simulate the satellite footage again (though this time it does look better; it has the solar panels for one!)

What we need to find are the D series blueprints for SSE. If anyone sees any, let me know. The A series are the architechts structural layouts (A and a 3 digit number) but the D series were WED`s show scene plans.

 

[beanboon]

Woah.... Expo - good question. It never occured to me the satellite was moved between 82 and 94. I doubt it was during the `86 rehab since the pavillion was only closed for 4 days (but it`s possible) - the photo of it reffered to by us clearly shows the `arm` and also the position of it being right of the track, just before descent. Whether it was moved here is a good point. I`m one of those who could have sworn there were more than one astronaut originally, but my first ride was in 1987 so the memory could be playing tricks.

I always thought the astronauts were on the underside of the octagon roof and I don't remember seeing the satellite at all, but that was 16 years ago so who knows.

blake; I still can`t remember or find any more info about there being a shuttle (the EPCOT Center book aside) but having the satellite held by the robot arm does suggest it.

beanboon; yep, your cylinder position does make sense. Planet7`s pics verify this I believe. This being the case, the girl in my video wasn`t in this cylinder; the parrallax movement suggests she is to the right of the track.

About the enhanced video; there really isn`t much to see. The camera was SVHS which helped resolution, but it was a 3 chip semi pro model (Panasonic AG450) and so didn`t handle low light well; 3 lux was it`s minimum. Believe me, you can`t see the satellite properly. You can make out a fuzz of dots that is the parabolic dish, and the leading edge of the astronaut. If you didn`t know what you`re looking at you wouldn`t know. I`ve used the best bits in my almost complete ultimate tribute video to SSE86 & Communicore; I`ve had to simulate the satellite footage again (though this time it does look better; it has the solar panels for one!)

What we need to find are the D series blueprints for SSE. If anyone sees any, let me know. The A series are the architechts structural layouts (A and a 3 digit number) but the D series were WED`s show scene plans.

Ahem. Sheet D-114 covers 180 top but alas does not show ANY set work (as all the rest of the sheets do). It DOES however show a figure (F-61) to the right of the track just as it curves into the descent (this would be to the rider's right, right next to the outer wall of SSE).

Sheet D-115 shows some of the shapes of the octagon roof (including the large cylindrical object) but no figures.

The extra figure mentioned elsewhere in the Gutenburg Press scene (F-31) is shown as well.

 

[marni1971]

Figure F-61 would correspond with the AA attached to the satellite.

BTW; you have a PM!

I`ve done another geeky photo montage. It`s too big to attach; have a look here http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=20669&cat=500

Note I`ve rotated the red strip lights through 90 degrees - after more fuzzy video watching I`ve figured they were at a right angle to the initial descent slope, and only visable as you turned the first corner during descent (you can see this turn in the montage as the blue Omni cars follow the turn)

 

[marni1971]

My turn to bump a thread.

Expect some new images from the Cronkite SSE 180top very soon!!

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Woo Hoo!:sohappy:

 

[joel_maxwell]

My turn to bump a thread.

Expect some new images from the Cronkite SSE 180top very soon!!

looking forward to it.

hey martin, check the email.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

I can't wait! After riding SSE earlier this month, and with the noticeable restoration work Seimens is pouring into the ride, the old space station scene is brighter than ever with the floating classroom projection cleaned off and brightened. It's very easy now to see the window if you turn your head to the right,and it's also much easier now to look up at the hexagon/octagonal structure of the space station roof and the star projection on the dome past that.

 

[optjay]

My turn to bump a thread.

Expect some new images from the Cronkite SSE 180top very soon!!

Images taken by ?

 

[marni1971]

Images taken by ?

A good friend of mine, Mark. Shot in `94 just before the rehab with a good low light tolerence camcorder. Nothing out of hours - totally legit.

 

[JEDIsney]

Wow, I remember this thread! I saw this post and I thought to myself that it couldn't be the same one, but it is.

Can't wait to see the images!

 

[marni1971]

Wow, I remember this thread! I saw this post and I thought to myself that it couldn't be the same one, but it is.

Can't wait to see the images!

Don`t get too excited; they are still murky and dark I`m afraid. Apart from the window girl, who looks great, you can make out the satellite(s) and where they were. Better yet, the solar pannels of the one featured earlier in this thread (it had 8 pannels sticking out) were mirrored - in the video you can see them reflecting the red light from the overhead strips as the car passes it. I`ve stuck a small version of it in my album http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=23700&cat=500

Now, note I said satellite(s)? I have a hunch there were 2 up there. Does this jog anyones memory? There was the big (flash pic) one with the solar pannels, which was off to the right of the descent track and seen to the left of the window girl, and I`m onto a hunch that has bothered me for a while. I shot the Worldkey info screen in 1990, and in the SSE section it showed this satellite http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=23699&cat=500 - quite different to the larger one. In the new video I have the camera focus' on and stays with a dark object, which seems to be a cylinder, on it`s side, with a light coloured round disc on the right hand end of it. Sound familiar? This smaller satellite (placed before you saw the second one - somewhere in the middle of 180 top) would be directly infront of you as you passed under the red light strips to begin the descent.

Here are 2 composites from the video, with everything placed where it appears on tape. They are rough; you have to watch the moving video to see the objects clearer (I`ll get to that in a mo) - the first is an empty composite, the 2nd with lines drawn where the moving video shows structure.
Oh, and also the new close up of the girl.

 

[marni1971]

Now, for video. I`ll sort out 2 clips - one standard, one enhanced. Unless someone can host them I`ll use YouSendIt, so they`ll be gone in a week.

I also have a NV video of the current ride (again from Mark) what clearly shows some of the old, original flat scenery up in 180top - as mentioned elsewhere it looks like a lunar surface. I`ll cap that as well. I`ve also noted from the `94 Cronkite video....

During the ascent tunnel sequence there were a LOT of flashing star effects. All the way up, like hundereds of tiny strobes, upto the lightning burst projection. I`ve never seen so many flashes in the tunnel before.

I probably just missed it in the past, but do they still show clips from Star Wars IV in the cinema scene? The Corrillian ship chasing the Rebel Blockade runner from the start of the movie?

The Single Network operations AA on the right hand side of the track was infact directly opposite the TVs-in-the-living-room scene, being placed right behind the cinema scene I just mentioned. She`s sat at her desk, with 3 rear projection data screens above her. We then proceed past the homework PC boy and paperless office on the left before Network Ops itself. The right hand single female AA scene was placed inside of a right hand curve in the track, so in effect she was always to the right of the Omnimover during the TV, PC, office and Network ops scenes.

Another AA is missing! In the Perrin version, Network Ops DID have 2 AAs - the man sat at the center desk, and a woman to his right on the upper level. In 1982 he had a black sleevless jumper over a white shirt too - in `86 just a white shirt, and he was all alone. True geek trivia!

The `Tomorrows Child` sequence had mirrored walls all through the curved sections; the overhead screens were reflected by them even on the descent path turns and corners.

 

[joel_maxwell]

if i could control my personal site from the office id host them.... but unfortunately i cant. hope some can soon.

nice work

 

[hismattjesty]

You have me drooling now Martin! I can't wait to see the video footage, no matter what the quality.

John

 

[Flounder_de]

Sounds great! As always

If you need help with hosting your vids .. I have some webspace and traffic available