New Attraction Simulates Shuttle Launch at 17,500 MPH

I found this article on a news web-site. It also had comments posted below that made me laugh.

Imagine being in a dragster, peeling out from zero to 100 in three seconds, then keeping your foot to the floor for a full six minutes until you reach 17,500 mph.

On Friday, the Kennedy Space Center will open the Shuttle Launch Experience, an amusement-ride-cum-astronaut-flight-simulator designed to mimic the 17,500-mph liftoff of a NASA shuttle orbiter.

The 44,000-square-foot attraction isn't just a ride; it's a flight simulator on par with what astronauts in training experience, says Bob Rogers, CEO of BRC Imagination Arts, which built it.
"This isn't an imaginary flight," says Rogers. "This is real."

The $60 million project employs seat rumblers and shakers that rattle riders through the turbulent main engine start, the firing of the solid rocket boosters and then their separation.

Air bags in each seat sink and rise to capture the sensation of extreme acceleration. The shuttle's windshield, an 84-inch high-def screen, is enveloped in fire when the external tanks separate.

Inside the capsule, riders are subject to an onslaught of 13-channel sound, from the roar of the engines to the commander barking instructions. Low-frequency sound vibrates the riders' chests, evoking the feeling of being unable to breathe.

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Comment 1: This ride sounds awesome to me, real or not. I love simulator rides. Gonna make a list of my favorites now ;)

Comment 2: I'm interested to check this out, but my expectations aren't great. For one thing, the picture above indicates that they got one key thing wrong: the interior of the Space Shuttle does not look like a cheap amusement park ride.

Comment 3: "This isn't an imaginary flight," says Rogers. "This is real." Seriously? Since when did the definition of "real" change? Is it a real shuttle? Are they going to space? Cause it looks like a theme park ride to me, with some fancy seats and a big-screen tv. They're not even putting the riders through the actual g-forces that accompany a "real" liftoff. (Which would probably kill over half the people in the picture, but that's a totally different topic for discussion...)