Comparison

Space Station Research Xplorer vs IT

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

Head to head
About

Space Station Research Xplorer

Explore a vast collection of experiments conducted on the International Space Station, both past and present. Discover the results and benefits of microgravity research through interactive media, detailed descriptions, and visual tours of the station's modules and external facilities.

Highlights
  • Browse ISS experiments by category
  • View experiment results and benefits
  • Interactive lab and facility tours
  • Search for specific experiments
  • Add experiments to favorites
  • Access science-related videos
Features
Read full description

Explore the diverse ecosystem of experiments being researched on the International Space Station – both completed and ongoing. Investigate the results and benefits of many of the experiments and find out why performing research in a microgravity environment is so important. The Space Station Research Explorer provides current information on ISS experiments, facilities and research results through video, photos, interactive media, and in-depth descriptions. The Experiments section provides access to the six main experiment categories and their subcategories. Experiments are depicted as dots within the category system and the stems connecting the dots to the system depict the length of time the experiment spent on orbit. Users can drill down to see specific experiments within the categories and subcategories or search for a specific experiment or subject using the search option. Experiment descriptions consist of links, images, and publications if available. The Experiments section can be further narrowed by selecting a specific expedition and sponsor by using the dials at the top right of the screen. Experiments can be added to a favorites list for quick access. The Lab Tour section provides an interior view of three of the station modules; Columbus, Kibo, and Destiny, and an exterior view of seven external facilities; ELC1-4, Columbus-EPF, JEM-EF and AMS. The module interiors can be navigated by dragging up and down to see different sides of the module and left and right to view any racks not shown on the screen. Tapping a rack gives a brief description of the rack and an experiment description if available. For the externals, the platform is shown and can be rotated and zoomed. Payloads on the external racks are labeled and the labels can be selected for more information. The Facilities section provides information on all of the facilities available on board the International Space Station that can be used to conduct experiments. The facilities are broken up into six categories: Physical Science, Human Research, Biology and Biology and Biotechnology, Earth and Space Science, Multipurpose, and Technology Development and Demonstration. These include facilities such as centrifuges, additive manufacturing facility and glove boxes. The Benefits section provides information about the microgravity laboratory highlighting groundbreaking discoveries helping society, technologies tested for future space exploration, new scientific breakthroughs, and contributions to the growing low-Earth orbit (LEO) economy. The Media section provides links to science-related videos. The Links section is an index of space station research sites and NASA applications.

About

IT

Features
Read full description

The IT-QR Code is an online event registration form that allows admin to register visitors to join Event, view the agenda, and use the generated QR code to check-in at the entrance of the event.

Screenshots

Space Station Research Xplorer4 screens
IT3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: IT at 11.0 against Space Station Research Xplorer's 15.0. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Space Station Research Xplorer ships an update every 5 weeks, IT every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Space Station Research Xplorer versus IT: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace Station Research XplorerIT
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (10 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size151 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNASAVersita Pty. Ltd.

In-app purchases

None

Space Station Research Xplorer

No in-app purchases

None

IT

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Space Station Research Xplorer free?
Space Station Research Xplorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is IT free?
IT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Space Station Research Xplorer or IT have ads?
Neither Space Station Research Xplorer nor IT shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Space Station Research Xplorer or IT?
Space Station Research Xplorer ships an update every 5 weeks, and IT every 2 months. Most recently, Space Station Research Xplorer was updated on October 15, 2026 and IT on October 21, 2026.

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