Astronaut Chris Hadfield First To Test Alton Towers’ Virtual Reality Rollercoaster

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield was the first person to try out the new Galactica virtual reality rollercoaster at Alton Towers today.

Hadfield was the first Canadian to walk in space and gained international fame following his rendition of David Bowie’s Space Oddity on the International Space Station, which went viral.

All 28 passengers wear a VR headset (Fabio De Paola/PA Wire)

The new ride sees visitors donning a virtual reality (VR) headset, which effectively transforms them into an astronaut while an on-board artificial intelligence guide transports them from the launch pad into space.

Passengers will experience 3.5G on the space-themed ride (Fabio De Paola/PA Wire)

The visuals have been synced to match the twists and turns of the ride to recreate the sensation of hurling through space on the 840m-long track.

The space-themed ride will see visitors to the theme park experiencing a whopping 3.5G of G-Force and hitting speeds up to 75km per hour.

The visuals are matched to the movement of the ride (Fabio De Paola/PA Wire)

Speaking after his first go on Galactica, Chris Hadfield said: “This is one of the best rides I’ve ever been on and I’ve been on some rides!

“I’ve been lucky enough to serve on three space flights, including five months on the International Space Station, but this is as close as I’ve come to a virtual trip across the universe.

"As Galactica launches you go through its opening space portal, the view looking down over the Earth is simply incredible.

“Having seen this for real, it certainly makes the exhilaration of space travel possible for people that would never otherwise get to see such amazing sights. The ride is visually and sensually evocative and I’m sure it will capture the imagination of all those that board it.”

The two-minute ride is located in the Forbidden Valley area of the theme park and opens to the public on 24 March 2016.

Image credit: Fabio De Paola/PA Wire