Spaceship Structure

The first geosphere to be built on a grand scale, Spaceship Earth’s construction was a achievement in architecture and a marvel to behold during the 26 month construction schedule it required. 

The secret of the geosphere is the fact that its component parts all operate as a normally shaped building would. Six main legs, in three areas, support a “core” that culminates “up” in the top of the dome, while the bottom “hangs” from it.  Spaceship Earth’s “Mirror Column”  on the north facing facade is not a leg, in fact, but the service elevator for the ride vehicles. 

Within this space, large spiraling “ramps” were constructed to give Imagineers enough room to instal the ride’s show scenes and ride track.  Around this main sphere, a second sphere was constructed, which is Spaceship Earth’s iconic skin. The two spheres are about 2 feet apart, and have crawl space for ventilation, walkways, and a gutter system that deposits rainwater in World Showcase Lagoon. 

The triangular tiles that make up the skin of Spaceship Earth has an outside surface of 150,000 square feet, and is covered by 11,324 alucobond facets, on 964 triangular tiles. Each tile is individually formed to meet Spaceship Earth’s spherical hull.