ESA cryosat vs ISS Explorer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ESA cryosat
Explore a comprehensive overview of a European Space Agency ice mission, including its unique space and ground segments. Discover real mission measurements, visualize data on a world map, and interact with a 3D satellite model.
- CryoSat mission description
- Photos and videos
- Mission news updates
- Interactive 3D satellite model
- World map with orbit position
- Visualization of real measurements
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CryoSat is ESA’s (European Space Agency) first ice mission. Launched in April 2010, it provides multi-year elevation data at latitudes never reached before by a satellite altimeter. The satellite has sophisticated technologies to determine variations in the thickness of polar sea ice to monitor changes in the vast ice sheets that overlie Greenland and Antarctica. This application is a gateway to knowing what the mission is about, how it works and what the elements of the space and ground segment that makes this mission unique are. It includes also a dedicated section that allows one to discover and visualize real CryoSat measurements over our planet: a remarkable tool for students and scientists engaged in using CryoSat products or interested in satellite engineering. Features: - Description of the CryoSat mission: space and ground segment - Large selection of photos and videos on a wide range of topics related to CryoSat - Latest mission operations news - Striking CryoSat 3D model with explanations of the different platform and payload elements - World map with orbit position of the satellite - Satellite visibility over selected ground stations and local position - Automatic update of the CryoSat orbit - Impressive visualization of real Cryosat measurements over the Earth with vertical profiles and easy geographical localization - Access to several geophysical parameters measured by the satellite …and much more Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. In the 3D environment: - swipe/pinch to rotate/zoom the satellite model - triple touch to reset position
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.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ISS Explorer at 100% against ESA cryosat's 50%. ESA cryosat's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, 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.
ESA cryosat ships an update every 6 months, ISS Explorer every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ESA cryosat | ISS Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.9 (16 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 16 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 115 MB | 747 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ESA - European Space Agency | NASA |
Customer experience
ESA cryosat
ISS Explorer
In-app purchases
ESA cryosat
No in-app purchases
ISS Explorer
No in-app purchases








