Objectif Mars, Steel roller coaster at Futuroscope, France
Objectif Mars is a steel roller coaster at Futuroscope that features a spinning train system traveling along a 500-meter track. The ride uses tire propulsion technology to reach speeds exceeding 55 kilometers per hour while rotating through sharp turns and elevation changes.
The idea dates to 1985, when park architect Denis Laming proposed a space-themed pavilion, Cœur Ludique de la Galaxie, which was never built. After the Pavillon de Solido closed on 27 August 2017, manager Dominique Hummel announced the park's first full coaster in October 2017, a €22 million project built under the name Mission Kepler by Intamin. Objectif Mars opened on 13 June 2020, delayed from 28 March by the COVID-19 shutdown.
The name Objectif Mars was chosen by a public vote on the Compagnie des Alpes website, beating Mars Challenge, Mars G-Force and Mars 2040. The queue and dark-ride scenes were designed with the Uzès firm Les Crayons, while Paris-based DIKDAK produced the video programmes. The train's front panel carries the words "OBJECTIF MARS" in white capitals.
Riders must be at least 1.1 metres tall, and children from about 5–6 years old can board if they meet it. The queue, station, transfer track, drop track and dark-ride scenes sit inside a 1,850 m² building, so most of the wait is indoors. The 5-metre drop track at the end comes after the brakes, before the final left turn into the station.
Objectif Mars hides a 5-metre drop track, the first of its kind in France: after the outdoor circuit, the loaded train freefalls vertically before a final left turn into the station. The same element appears on TH13TEEN at Alton Towers and Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
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