ISS Explorer vs Reentry AR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ISS Explorer
Explore a detailed 3D model of the International Space Station. Rotate, zoom, and select individual components to learn about their function and systems. Organize your view by turning parts and labels on or off.
- Interactive 3D ISS model
- Rotate and zoom functionality
- Selectable parts with isolation
- Detailed information on components
- Hierarchical part organization
- Toggle parts and labels
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The ISS explorer is an interactive tool for exploring the parts and pieces of the International Space Station (ISS). The application allows the user to view a 3D model of the ISS, rotate it, zoom into it, and select different parts and pieces. When the application starts, you can see a view of the entire ISS with category labels. Tabs are available on the left hand side of the screen which allow you access to information, the hierarchy, settings and application information. From this point, you can zoom into the station, revealing more labels of visible parts. The station can also be rotated to view from different angles. If a part is selected, the part is isolated so that you can focus on the specific piece. The information tab shows information about the currently isolated part. Inside the hierarchy tab, you can turn parts on or off, turn labels for parts on or off, turn parts transparent, or select a part to focus on. The parts are organized in a hierarchy to allow for systems to be described and displayed. This includes things such as truss, modules, and external platforms. The Information tab shows information about the current isolated part, system, or the full ISS if the entire station is shown.
Reentry AR
Experience the return of the Hayabusa2 re-entry capsule in augmented reality. This application visualizes the capsule's trajectory as it lands in South Australia, overlaid onto your device's camera view.
- Augmented reality trajectory display
- Visualizes re-entry capsule path
- Overlays on camera feed
- Educational space mission data
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Reentry AR displays the trajectory of the re-entry capsule of Asteroid Explorer "Hayabusa2" in augmented reality (AR). After the long journey to the Ryugu asteroid (162173), Hayabusa2 will return to Earth and its re-entry capsule will land in South Australia on December 6, 2020. Reentry AR shows the trajectory of the capsule overlaid on the camera's image.
Screenshots
Verdict
ISS Explorer and Reentry AR both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of ISS Explorer's written reviews are positive against 33% of Reentry AR's. ISS Explorer also leads on ratings volume (16 vs 1). Reentry AR's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ISS Explorer against 5.0 for Reentry AR. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ISS Explorer has 16 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of ISS Explorer's written reviews are positive against 33% of Reentry AR's.
ISS Explorer ships an update every 10 months, Reentry AR every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ISS Explorer | Reentry AR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (16 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 13.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 747 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NASA | Toriningen Co.,Ltd. |
Customer experience
ISS Explorer
Reentry AR
In-app purchases
ISS Explorer
No in-app purchases
Reentry AR
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ISS Explorer free?
Is Reentry AR free?
Which has better reviews, ISS Explorer or Reentry AR?
Do ISS Explorer or Reentry AR have ads?
Which is updated more often, ISS Explorer or Reentry AR?
Other comparisons
