Dream Cruises begins record-breaking roller coaster test amid coronavirus

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Although the cruise industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, Dream Cruises is pushing on with tests of its Space Cruiser Coaster – which is meant to be the world’s longest roller coaster at sea, according to a recent press release.

“We are thrilled with the progress of the construction of the roller coaster and are excited to unveil this ride to our guests when our ship launches,” said Mr. Michael Goh, the president of Dream Cruises.

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German amusement ride manufacturer Maurer AG is building the Space Cruiser after its trademarked Spike Coaster. The record-breaking coaster will be installed on Dream Cruise´s new ship, the Global Dream, which was scheduled for a December 2020 inauguration.  It is not immediately clear whether that will still be the case if the pandemic persists.

Regardless, the Space Cruiser will be the highlight of the cruise line’s Dream Park at the Pier – the first theme park at sea. The coaster is currently being pre-assembled on land for testing purposes, so it can be ready for the ship’s scheduled launch.

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"Among other things, the test setup will be used to test the installation methodology especially designed for ship assembly. Furthermore, the conductor rail and gear rack along the roller coaster track, which is necessary for the generation and transmission in the electric motor, can be installed on land in advance,” said Marco Hartwig, a Maurer project manager.

“This saves valuable time during the ship assembly. The aim is also to collect all the 93 support base points coordinates after the roller coaster has been completed and then forward them to the shipyard for preparation and positioning for the deck foundations,” he added. “With the help of this elaborate procedure, we can ensure that the support base points on the deck of the ship are in the correct positions later.”

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The Space Cruiser’s tests are being conducted at the MV Werften shipyards in Germany. Its racing track is 994 feet in length and can shoot three vehicles out at a max speed of 37 miles-per-hour. When finished, the coaster will stand at 180 feet above sea level.

Riders who get on the Space Cruiser will be greeted to two closely spaced inclined 90-degree curves, two camelbacks, a launch above the railing and the heads of the passengers and a 360-degree downward-and-upward helix.

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So far, the coaster’s three vehicles are being put into operation step-by-step and the system control is being thoroughly tested, according to Dream Cruises. Once completed, the Space Cruiser will be dismantled and transported to a shipyard in Güstrow, Germany for final assembly.