Sky Rocket is a launched steel roller coaster at Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, that opened to the public on June 29, 2010. Built by Premier Rides, it marked the park’s first major coaster addition in nearly a decade and its first ride with inversions since the Steel Phantom was retired years earlier.
The coaster made history as the first Premier Rides design to use a linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch instead of the linear induction motor systems the manufacturer had relied on previously. Sky Rocket also introduced one of the world’s first cutback inversions, an element that has since become more common on newer launched coasters.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Kennywood
- Manufacturer: Premier Rides
- Opened: June 29, 2010
- Height: 95 feet
- Top speed: 50 mph
- Length: 2,100 feet
- Inversions: 3
- Ride duration: About 1 minute 5 seconds
The Ride Experience
Riders board Sky Rocket’s open-sided trains and are launched via LSM technology from 0 to 50 mph in about 3 seconds. The train then climbs the 95-foot top hat before plunging back down at a 90-degree vertical angle, immediately setting up the ride’s signature inversions.
Over its roughly minute-long circuit, Sky Rocket delivers a cutback inversion, a zero-G roll, and a corkscrew, all built around a compact 2,100-foot layout typical of Premier Rides’ launched coaster designs.
History and Significance
Kennywood announced the project in August 2009 as a prototype LSM-launched coaster, with the park ultimately naming it Sky Rocket after its ride model designation. Its 2010 debut ended a lull in major additions at the historic park.
Sky Rocket’s launch system and cutback inversion influenced later Premier Rides installations, cementing its place as a technically significant coaster in the manufacturer’s lineup rather than just another midway attraction.
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Sky Rocket FAQs
How fast does Sky Rocket go?
Sky Rocket reaches a top speed of about 50 mph, accelerating from 0 to 50 mph in roughly 3 seconds via its LSM launch.
How many inversions does Sky Rocket have?
Sky Rocket has 3 inversions: a cutback inversion, a zero-G roll, and a corkscrew. The ride’s 95-foot top hat is a non-inverting airtime hill and is not counted among the inversions.
When did Sky Rocket open at Kennywood?
Sky Rocket opened to the public on June 29, 2010, after being announced by Kennywood in August 2009.
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Photo: Roller Coaster Philosophy / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.