Disney settles with designer of Mission: Space

Disney and Environmental Tectonics Corporation reached a confidential settlement relating to the design of the Mission: Space attraction at the EPCOT theme park in Orlando.

Although the terms of the settlement are confidential, Peter E. Steinman, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Walt Disney Imagineering, stated that "Disney very much appreciates the role that ETC played in the design and development of Mission: Space. The centrifuge technology expertise and experience that ETC brought to the project was very important." William F. Mitchell, Sr., President and CEO of ETC, stated that "we are pleased that we have resolved our differences with Disney on an amicable basis. ETC was proud to work on Disney's spectacular Mission: Space attraction."

The company has faced criticism for running the attraction when two people died after completing the ride. The victims were later discovered to have pre-existing health conditions that may have been triggered by the ride.

Daudi Bamuwamye, a 4-year-old boy, died in 2005 after completing the ride. A year later, his family sued Disney for wrongful death. The suit claimed Disney failed to warn the public of the ride's hazards, should never have let a small boy onto the ride, and failed to help him when he exited the ride unconscious. The autopsy discovered Bamuwamye had an undiagnosed heart condition. Disney and the family settled the suit in 2007.

Less than a year after the first death, a 49-year-old German woman fell ill while on the ride and exited complaining of nausea and dizziness. She was checked, then taken to a hospital where she died. The county medical examiner said the woman died of a stroke linked to long-standing high blood pressure but did not mention a connection between the ride and her death.

Mission: Space opened in 2003 and is a motion simulator that gives the feeling of riding on a rocket into the atmosphere and the feeling of weightlessness upon orbit. The effect is produced by the ride's centrifugal force machine developed by ETC.

ETC is a leader in designing aircrew training systems and develops the same type of equipment to train real astronauts.

After the two deaths and almost 200 calls to paramedics in one year for nausea, dizziness, and vomiting after completing the ride, Disney offered a tamer version in 2006 at slower speeds and without the centrifugal force. Those who are more adventurous can still ride the original attraction. Motion sickness bags were also installed on every seat.