Comparison

Space Shuttle AR vs 3,2,1 Launch!

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Space Shuttle AR

Experience the Space Shuttle's return through augmented reality. As the launch director, guide the shuttle from launch to a safe docking with the International Space Station. Witness realistic smoke, fire, and engine separation in your own environment.

Highlights
  • Augmented Reality (AR) experience
  • Launch director role
  • Space Shuttle launch simulation
  • Docking with International Space Station
  • Realistic smoke and fire effects
  • Booster and fuel tank separation
  • Multiple viewing angles
Read full description

The Space Shuttle has been revived through Augmented Reality(AR) since its last flight in 2011. AR is a technology that displays virtual objects in the real world. You are the launch director of the Space Shuttle. Your mission is to launch the Space Shuttle and dock with the International Space Station safely. The Space Shuttle will be launched with smoke and fire from the launch pad. The shuttle will separate booster engines and an external fuel tank. It will dock with the Space Station above the Earth. The sound and the countdown make AR Space Shuttle more realistic. You can watch the shuttle's motions from various angles. Launch a 3D virtual Space Shuttle in your backyard or any other place. This app is a simple experiment in AR. The app is not only for Space Shuttle fans but also for anyone interested in AR. Try launching the 3D virtual Space Shuttle now.

About

3,2,1 Launch!

Experience the journey of a spacecraft from selection to launch. This game features 8 mini-games that educate players on the engineering and processes involved in sending a spacecraft into orbit.

Highlights
  • Rocket and spacecraft matching
  • Engineering analysis
  • Spacecraft cleaning
  • Rocket assembly
  • Fueling process
  • Orbit targeting
Read full description

In 1998, NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) was established to support NASA’s science and robotic missions by procuring commercial launch vehicles. The program was established at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to centralize technical and management support to spacecraft customers. LSP brings together people, procurement, engineering best practices, strategic planning, studies, and cutting-edge techniques—all instrumental components for the United States to have a dependable and secure Earth-to-Space bridge that is dedicated to launching all types of spacecraft. This game goes through the process of a spacecraft matching to a rocket, the integration of the spacecraft to the rocket and the engineering behind it, and its eventual launch into space and the correct orbit. The game consists of 8 mini games to educate the player on the process Features: • Buying a rocket • How to get where you want to go in space • Analyzing the rocket and spacecraft • How to clean a spacecraft • Putting together a rocket • Time to fuel up • Frequency • Staying on target The characters that the player can choose from are represented by animals that are found in the Cape Canaveral Wildlife Refuge which encompasses Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Base. • Tortoise • Manatee • Wild hog • Bobcat • Alligator • T- Rex (not found in the Cape Canaveral Wildlife Refuge)

Screenshots

Space Shuttle AR4 screens
3,2,1 Launch!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Space Shuttle AR at 1.1K against 3,2,1 Launch!'s 4. Space Shuttle AR also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 13 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). 3,2,1 Launch!'s advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 78%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

3,2,1 Launch! holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Space Shuttle AR has 1.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Space Shuttle AR's written reviews are positive against 100% of 3,2,1 Launch!'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Space Shuttle AR ships an update every 5 months, 3,2,1 Launch! every 13 months. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Space Shuttle AR versus 3,2,1 Launch!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace Shuttle AR3,2,1 Launch!
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.1K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better4
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 13 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB1008 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNoriaki MuraoNASA

Customer experience

Space Shuttle AR

All ratings1,120 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral3.8%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral2.2%
Negative19.6%

3,2,1 Launch!

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Space Shuttle AR

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Freezing and crashing on launch
  • Inability to place the shuttle on flat surfaces

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more rockets and spacecraft to launch
  • Allow users to build and customize their own rockets
  • Implement a re-entry and landing sequence
  • Provide more background options (e.g., stars, planets)

3,2,1 Launch!

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Space Shuttle AR

No in-app purchases

None

3,2,1 Launch!

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Space Shuttle AR free?
Space Shuttle AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 3,2,1 Launch! free?
3,2,1 Launch! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Space Shuttle AR or 3,2,1 Launch!?
3,2,1 Launch! is rated higher. Space Shuttle AR averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while 3,2,1 Launch! averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Space Shuttle AR or 3,2,1 Launch! have ads?
Neither Space Shuttle AR nor 3,2,1 Launch! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Space Shuttle AR or 3,2,1 Launch!?
Space Shuttle AR ships an update every 5 months, and 3,2,1 Launch! every 13 months. Most recently, Space Shuttle AR was updated on October 1, 2026 and 3,2,1 Launch! on October 1, 2026.

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