Fifty years ago this week, Space Mountain opened in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. The original Space Mountain, which opened at Walt Disney World in 1975, was the first fully-enclosed, dark roller coaster and the first to be controlled by a computer.

When the ride opened on Jan. 15, 1975, an Apollo moonwalker was its first passenger, NASA's insignia was on display and Space Mountain was dedicated to opening the new frontier.

A cultural touchstone, the dark ride opened to the public on Jan. 15, 1975, three years and three months after the Magic Kingdom’s debut.