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.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- Rocket and spacecraft matching
- Engineering analysis
- Spacecraft cleaning
- Rocket assembly
- Fueling process
- Orbit targeting
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
Space Shuttle AR ships an update every 5 months, 3,2,1 Launch! every 13 months. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.
| Parameter | Space Shuttle AR | 3,2,1 Launch! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.1K ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 13 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 1008 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Noriaki Murao | NASA |
Customer experience
Space Shuttle AR
3,2,1 Launch!
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
Space Shuttle AR
No in-app purchases
3,2,1 Launch!
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Space Shuttle AR free?
Is 3,2,1 Launch! free?
Which has better reviews, Space Shuttle AR or 3,2,1 Launch!?
Do Space Shuttle AR or 3,2,1 Launch! have ads?
Which is updated more often, Space Shuttle AR or 3,2,1 Launch!?
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