This peculiar visit is not the result of interplanetary travel but a recent collaboration between Disney Imagineers and NASA engineers, revealed on October 4, coinciding with World Space Week.
The Perseverance Mars rover, despite its location on the Red Planet for the past two years, seems to have made an unexpected detour to Florida’s Walt Disney World, leaving behind distinctive tracks akin to its tire tread near EPCOT’s Mission: SPACE attraction
The exhibit, a faithful reproduction of a section of Martian terrain, showcases where Perseverance Mars rover’s wheel left its mark, accompanied by two dropped sample tubes containing rocks and soil destined for return to Earth. A plaque marks the Perseverance Mars rover’s historic landing date on February 18, 2021, emphasizing Perseverance’s mission to unearth clues about potential life on Mars.
To craft this display, Disney obtained a prototype Perseverance Mars rover wheel from NASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, the very place where Perseverance was constructed and tested. A 3D print file for the sample tubes and images captured by the Perseverance Mars rover was provided by NASA for Disney artisans to recreate the Martian landscape.
This isn’t the first time a Perseverance Mars rover has imprinted tracks at Mission: SPACE
Back in 2003, when the pavilion was inaugurated, a model of Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity left ceremonial impressions in wet cement. These treads, along with an accompanying plaque, stood for two decades before their removal in August. Disney‘s Mission: SPACE attraction, developed with the guidance of NASA experts, has been a thrilling venture for guests, offering authentic training and experiences reminiscent of space travel. The courtyard also boasts inspirational plaques dedicated to space exploration. The pavilion recently expanded to introduce Space 220, a restaurant providing a simulated space journey for diners.
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