The Needle's original colors were Astronaut White (the tower), Orbital Olive (the core), Re-entry Red (the halo) and Galaxy Gold (the top). Galaxy Gold was actually more of a tangerine. The original Needle was topped with a flaming natural gas torch that lit up at night with rainbow colors.
The Space Needle is the first building in the world to have a revolving glass floor, and it is really cool to be able to look down and watch the ground move under your feet. I loved seeing the reactions of the people around me seeing the floor for the first time -- it is a really cool experience.
🪐🌸 Seattle's Space Needle has gone pink! As part of our Paint it Pink campaign, we're raising awareness and supporting those affected by breast cancer.
Wind causes it to sway. A strong breeze blowing at 10 miles per hour (mph) causes the Space Needle to sway approximately 1 inch. It can supposedly withstand wind velocities up to 200 mph.
Seattle hotel executive Edward E. Carlson, a chief organizer of the 1962 World's Fair, traveled to Stuttgart, Germany, and was inspired by a broadcast tower with a restaurant. Carlson doodled an idea for the upcoming fair on a hotel cafe napkin, calling it a “Space Needle.”
The tower is 138 ft (42 m) wide, weighs 9,550 short tons (8,660 metric tons), and is built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h) and earthquakes of up to 9.0 magnitude, as strong as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake.
At 605 feet tall, the landmark was constructed to symbolize humanity's Space Age aspirations, and since its grand opening on April 21, 1962, continues to represent the innovative and forward-thinking spirit of Seattle.
According to Starwalk, the name was given to the moon by Native Americans to represent the color of the wild ground phlox — one of the earliest flowers to bloom in April. The perennial bloom is most often pink, but also has shades of purple and white, said the almanac.
You will be asked to select a 15-minute arrival window for each location. To improve guest flow and experience, Space Needle & Chihuly Garden and Glass 15-minute arrival intervals will now contain 5-minute timeslots within them. This is only the arrival window for entry, once inside you can stay until closing.
Safety of the structure is paramount. “Our technicians and engineers check the building every day for safety, and our team of glasskeepers maintain all 176 tons of glass at the Space Needle so our guests enjoy the 360-degree views of downtown Seattle, Mount Rainier and the Puget Sound,” she explains.
There is currently not a full service restaurant at the Space Needle. You can make reservations for drinks and appetizers at the Loupe Lounge, but it is not kid friendly. I'd suggest grabbing some food at The Amory nearby before or after your visit.
The Space Needle initially had a 50-foot tower atop on a tripod of tubular stainless steel. Fair promoters advertised it had enough natural gas to heat 125 homes. But that was removed after the fair, making it a little shorter.
But in microgravity, the hot air forms a spherical shape around the source of the fire. This limits how hot the fire can get and how long it can burn, as there are no convection currents to supply the flame with fresh oxygen for combustion. Fire can burn on a spaceship, but not in space.
Watching the episode, you feel transported to Seattle, and that's in no small part due to the fact that, in an ode to the series' setting, the crew constructed a replica of the Space Needle on which to film.
Carlson found inspiration for the Space Needle from a broadcast tower with a restaurant in Germany. The architect on the project, John Graham Jr., focused his design on a flying saucer shaped top house, feeding into the name “the Space Needle.”
Construction, managed by the Howard S. Wright Construction Company, progressed quickly. An underground foundation was poured into a hole 30' deep and 120' across.
She is also a NASA Aquanaut and was a crewmember on the longest duration saturation dive mission on the Aquarius undersea laboratory. Always an Artist, Nicole was the First Astronaut to Paint in Space.
The Space Needle in Seattle has been featured in various movies and TV shows, including It Happened at the World's Fair, The Parallax View, and Austin Powers 2.
The Space Needle was painted "Galaxy Gold" in April 2022 to kick off its 60th anniversary celebration. SEATTLE — The Space Needle is returning to "Astronaut White" after it was painted its original "Galaxy Gold" for its 60th-anniversary celebration last year.
