Currently Active: Yes
Opening Year: 2007

The Galaxy Orbiter is a spinning roller coaster ride in Galaxyland, in West Edmonton Mall. It was manufactured by Gerstlauer, and is their first Canadian coaster.

It is the first spinning coaster in Canada. It was among the most impactful, and most visible, additions to the park since it’s opening in 1985.

The coaster has up to 5 cars available for operation. However, due to the relatively short track and time needed to load riders, the ride will typically have only three or four cars in operation at any given time. Each car can hold up to 4 riders.

Unlike the train-like format seen in the park’s other coaters, The Mindbender, The Autosled, and even the smaller Dragon Wagon, the cars on the Galaxy Orbiter travel independently along a track. They are loaded and launched one at time.

In addition to its forward motion along the track, each car spins independently. The spinning is physics-based, and not controlled by a manual wheel or remote automation. This means that when the car is loaded with uneven weight, such as when it is loaded with only two riders who choose to sit side-by side, the spinning is much more intense vs. when weight is evenly distributed. Riders who are familiar with this fact can often be seen discussing seating the two heaviest riders across from the two lightest, in order to add more spin to the ride.

The ride opened in 2007. During its construction, it required the temporary closure of several rides as its track was being assembled. The addition of this coaster causes the permanent removal of the Rockin’ Rocket, which existed where the Orbiter ‘s queue and loading area are now. The UFO Maze was also removed to accommodate the Galaxy Orbiter

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