Walt Disney originally conceived the idea of a space-themed roller coaster for Disneyland following the success of the Matterhorn Bobsleds, which opened in 1959.

Space Mountain has undergone a number of major upgrades and refurbishments over the years, including the addition of an onboard soundtrack in 1996, repainting of the exterior in 1997 and 2003, and a complete replacement of the original track and ride vehicles from 2003 to 2005.

Every September and October during Halloween Time at Disneyland, starting in 2009 and ending in 2019, the dome was given projections for the Ghost Galaxy event.

The early success of the Matterhorn Bobsleds – opened in 1959 – convinced Walt Disney that thrill rides did have a place in Disneyland.

[3] In 1964, Walt Disney first approached designer John Hench with an idea for an indoor dark roller coaster.

However, the park became unexpectedly popular with teenagers and young adults and, as a result, Disney began plans to add thrill rides there as well.

[4] Six of the original seven Mercury astronauts attended Space Mountain's opening – Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, Sen. John Glenn, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton.

The lone exception was Gus Grissom, who had died along with two other astronauts in a tragic launchpad fire ten years earlier.

[5] Behind the scenes, the onboard audio system was making the trains much heavier, which caused the track and supports to become structurally compromised.

[4] On June 25, 2005, Disneyland surprised its guests by announcing that the reopening of Space Mountain would open early on July 15, instead of the projected November date.

The completely rebuilt track is exactly the same layout as originally designed by Walt Disney Imagineer Bill Watkins in 1976.

[8] Among the changes are that the ride vehicles are now referred to as "reconnaissance vessels", the setting being the planet Jakku from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the pre-flight safety video featuring a briefing from Admiral Ackbar.

[11][12] On October 27, 2023, the attraction reopened after a nearly two month long refurbishment period with new interior visual effects and projection mapping on the exterior.

When the rocket is released, the red strobe lights surrounding the train flash and it makes a right turn, before climbing the first lift hill.

As the trains begin their climb, red beams stretch along the screens and spin as a galaxy is seen swirling at the very top of the tunnel.

The ride consists of many turns and small dips with the illusion of speed given by the fact that the track is barely visible to the riders.

With a sudden left turn, the trains enter the re-entry tunnel with many colorful stars flying towards them and two flashes of light as the onride photo is taken.

On December 28, 2006, Disneyland announced that the soundtrack to be featured for "Rockin' Both Parks" were two songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Upon reaching the main ride building and ascending the final lift, the ghost appeared one more time, which marked its chase after park guests.

Before Ghost Galaxy, in 2007, a Halloween-themed overlay of the ride debuted for cast members known as Space Mountain Nightmare Nebula.

Unlike the elaborate retheming of Ghost Galaxy, Nightmare Nebula was limited to simple decorations and a pitch-black ride experience.

The overlay featured a soundtrack with selections from John Williams's score of the Star Wars films, with projections depicting a mission towards the planet Jakku (a site introduced during The Force Awakens) to investigate the presence of an Imperial-class Star Destroyer as commanded by Admiral Ackbar (voiced by Tom Kane), flying through a hyperspace jump and battling with X-wings and TIE fighters.

In April 2024, it was announced that the updated version of Hyperspace Mountain ride would return until June 2, 2024, as part of "Season of the Force".

In December 2024, it was announced that the overlay of Hyperspace Mountain ride would return from March 28 until May 11, 2025 as part of "Season of the Force".

[22][23] Hyperspace Mountain Engagements The park website lists for guests to transfer from wheelchair or electric convenience vehicle "by themselves or with assistance by members of their party".

During the trial the jury was taken to the park to ride Space Mountain, and several of the cars were brought into the courtroom to demonstrate how they work.

[25] On August 2, 2000, nine people suffered minor injuries when a wheel on a Space Mountain car became dislodged and the ride's safety control systems caused the train to stop abruptly.

[26] In April 2013, Disney voluntarily closed Space Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and Soarin' Over California due to OSHA-related issues so employee safety protocols could be reviewed.

The safety review stemmed from seven OSHA fines that were initiated from a contractor injury in November 2012, where the worker fell down the outside of the Space Mountain building and broke several bones.