Among the stars

UK – Theme park Alton Towers will open Galactica, a virtual reality (VR) rollercoaster, in April.

• Riders will wear VR headsets as they hurtle around the space-themed ride, experiencing G force of up to 3.5G
• The visuals are synchronised to the twists and turns of the 840-metre long track, offering an unparalleled sense of presence

Motion sickness is an obvious concern, but Alton Towers believes it has solved this problem with shoulder straps that limit head movement. Sensors monitoring each individual headset will ensure the high-definition visuals are synchronised when riders lift their heads.

‘For two minutes our guests will be transported into space and we believe Galactica showcases the future for theme parks around the world,’ says Alton Towers marketing director Gill Riley.

The theme park expects the ride to capture the public imagination following the success of British astronaut Tim Peake’s maiden voyage into space. Space exploration will continue to dominate news feeds throughout 2016 with a NASA mission to Mars and a spacecraft landing on Jupiter, a journey that has taken five years.