Copyright: NMEC

Home Planet – the 65 metre wide zone centres on a shimmering metallic blue globe, entered through an articulated tunnel. Inside, you will be taken on an amazing journey - departing, travelling and arriving at the most incredible planet in the known universe - Earth. A globe measuring 12 metres in diameter appears to float above the ground next to the zone, reaching to a height of 22.5 metres and acting as a landmark visible from anywhere in the Dome.

Two alien pilots, to be known as Gaia and Max, will guide visitors through an incredible journey in the Dome's Home Planet zone, it was announced today. Details of the outer-space voyage in Home Planet, sponsored by British Airways and BAA, were unveiled by the New Millennium Experience Company Creative Review Group Chairman, Michael Grade, at the Dome in Greenwich today.

The alien pilots, Gaia and her son Max, will accompany visitors on their intergalactic journey to Earth in a 'British Spaceways' capsule. The ride uses special effects to take visitors through the extremes of the Earth's climate and culminates with a specially-commissioned film by Oscar-winning director Hugh Hudson.

Max and Gaia, the friendly guides of the Home Planet ride, were designed and built at Jim Henson's Creature Shop, creators of the Muppets. Merging the traditional skills of clay sculptors and puppeteers with the technical wizardry of the computer graphics team, these animated aliens have muscles that bulge, joints that move, perfect eye movement and personalities all of their own. These functions working together give Max his mischievous nature - making him shake with laughter, turn blue with cold, and create sticky encounters along the way.

This unique outer-space voyage takes the visitor from a futuristic spaceport, 'Intergalatwick', towards Earth. On their journey, visitors will experience the power of the planet's extraordinary forces as they travel through the four classical elements – Air, Water, Fire and Earth.

Visitors will feel their surroundings change as the capsule travels through four 'earth sectors.'

Using original special effects, visitors will be buffeted by high winds in the 'Air' sector, feel temperatures drop to near-freezing in the ice cave of the 'Water' sector, experience the heat of 'Fire' and finally discover all-enveloping quiet as they burrow towards the Earth's core. These incredible earth sectors have been created by the special effects company Artem.

Hugh Hudson, director of Chariots of Fire, which won four Academy Awards, is currently directing the film that forms the culmination of this fantastic ride. The film explores humankind through a universal cycle of emotions connecting people throughout the world. Hugh Hudson is filming in China, America, Israel and the UK, and is currently on location in New York.

• The zone is designed by Park Avenue Productions.
• Sponsored by BA and BAA, the zone offers visitors the opportunity to see the beauty of the world’s sights, sounds and natural phenomena and to experience the exhilaration of travel and discovery.