Technocosmos
Technocosmos, later renamed Technostar, was an {{Convert|85|m|ft|adj=on}} tall giant Ferris wheel that was built for the Expo '85 World Fair in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. It carried almost 3 million passengers during the exposition.[https://books.google.com/books?id=SkFQ5tgWKfEC&q=Ferris+wheels:+an+illustrated+history Ferris wheels - an illustrated history, Norman D. Anderson]
History
Technocosmos had an overall height of {{Convert|85|m|ft}},[http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=330408 Reinventing the wheel] a diameter of {{Convert|82.5|m|ft}}, and took 15 minutes to complete a revolution. Each of the 48 passenger cars could carry 8 people and was equipped with solar panels to power its air conditioning.
When it began operating, Technocosmos was the World's tallest extant Ferris wheel. At that time, the tallest Ferris wheel ever built was the {{Convert|100|m|ft|adj=on}} Grande Roue de Paris (built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle in France) which was demolished in 1920. In 1989 the {{Convert|107.5|m|ft|adj=on}} Cosmo Clock 21 opened for business in Yokohama and succeeded both Technocosmos as tallest extant Ferris wheel and Grande Roue de Paris as tallest Ferris wheel ever built.
=Renamed as Technostar in Suita=
Image:Expoland Ferris wheel wide shot.jpg
After Expo '85, Technocosmos was relocated in 1986 to the Expoland amusement park in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, and renamed Technostar.[http://worldvisitguide.com/salle/MS05092.html Guide, map and view by satellite of Osaka]
Expoland has since permanently closed.{{cite web|url=http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090210p2a00m0na013000c.html |title=Expoland theme park gives up on revival, shuts doors for good after fatal accident |publisher=Mainichi Shimbun |date=2009-02-10 |accessdate=2009-02-10 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213141214/http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090210p2a00m0na013000c.html |archivedate=2009-02-13 |url-status=dead }} Work began on dismantling Technostar in November 2009, and it had been removed from the Osaka site by the end of the following month.{{cite web|url=https://osaka1shop2channel.jp/blog-entry-469.html|title=エキスポシティの観覧車は3代目だった!?知られざる観覧車の歴史 (in Japanese)|publisher=万博記念公園エリアの地域情報サイト, 6 September 2016|accessdate=2 January 2023}}
In Suita city, a new wheel was opened in 2016 called the Redhorse Osaka Wheel;{{cite web|url= https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1023474-d10640748-Reviews-Redhorse_Osaka_Wheel-Suita_Osaka_Prefecture_Kinki.html|title=Redhorse Osaka Wheel|publisher= tripadvisor.com|accessdate=2 January 2023}} as part of Expocity created in 2015.
Coordinates
- Technocosmos, Expo '85, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Kantō region: {{Coord|36.061203|N|140.073055|E|type:landmark|name=Technocosmos}}
- Technostar, Expoland, Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Kansai region: {{Coord|34.803772|N|135.535916|E|type:landmark|name=Technostar}}
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{{Succession box|title={{Nowrap|World's tallest extant Ferris wheel}}|before=Wiener Riesenrad|after=Cosmo Clock 21|years=1985-1989}}
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