The ride today bears little resemblance to actual spaceflight. But in the 50 years Space Mountain has been running, there have been and still are several nods to NASA.

Space Mountain is one of the most recognizable theme park attractions around the world, but here’s what you may not know about the beloved ride.

Walt Disney wanted to build Space Mountain at Disneyland a decade before the indoor roller coaster forever altered the skyline of the Magic Kingdom a few years after the debut of the Florida theme park. Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Space Mountain on Wednesday, Jan. 15.