Space Shot

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Space Shot in Linnanmäki amusement park in Finland.

This article is about an amusement ride. For for real lauch into spaces, see Space launch.

Space Shot is a type of amusement ride manufactured by S&S Power.

The ride is a drop tower type attraction that uses compressed air to rapidly propel riders up the tower then gently lower them with a series of air-cushioned bounces back to the loading platform.

The Space Shot at Galaxyland in Edmonton, AB, Canada. This is the tallest indoor tower ride in the world at 120 feet high.

1 Statistics^[1]
2 Ride mechanism
3 References
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Statistics^[1]

Ride Speed: 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour)
Capacity: 12 or 16 per tower, depending on seating configuration
Total passenger minimum weight: 600 pounds
Total passenger maximum weight: 2,400 pounds (1090 kilograms)
Total passenger minimum height: 48 inches (1.4 meters)
Ride duration: 50 seconds
Height: Varies from 90 feet (28 meters) to over 300 feet (92 meters)
Width: 7 feet 6 inches (2.3 meters)
Weight (empty): 120,000 pounds (54,480 kilogram)

Ride Movement

[edit] Ride mechanism

The mechanism consists of a central tower around which rows of seats are placed with the riders facing outward away from the tower. In the center of the tower is a large columnar pipe system. Threaded through the main pipe column is a cable that is attached to a piston on one end, looped over a pulley at the top of the tower and attached to the seat carriage on the other.

In the loading position, the seat carriage is at the base of the tower and the piston is at the top of the pipe column. Once the ride has been loaded, the seats are lifted slightly off the ground and loaded seats are weighed in order to calculate the amount of air pressure needed to safely propel the seats up the tower. Upon charging the air system to the correct pressure, compressed air is injected into the central column pushing the piston rapidly downward. As the piston moves down, it pulls the cable downward over the pulley at the top, propelling the seat carriage up the outside of the tower.

Upon exhausting the air from the pressure system, the carriage descends, drawing the piston back up the pipe column. As the piston moves up, the air inside the pipe column alternately compresses and expands, causing the carriage to bounce several times. With each bounce, a pressure relief valve at the top of the pipe column releases some of the compressed air making each successive bounce smaller until the carriage reaches the loading platform.

Below is a visual representation of the ride cycle:


Carriage and piston at load positions	Injection of air into column	Piston descends, pulling carriage up	Carriage descends, pulling piston up and releasing air from top of column	Carriage and piston return to load positions