# Asteroid Redirect Mission vs Celestia

The clearest difference is rating: Asteroid Redirect Mission at 5.0 against Celestia's 4.4. Asteroid Redirect Mission also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). Celestia's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (338 vs 14). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Celestia sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Asteroid Redirect Mission asks for nothing beyond the download.

Asteroid Redirect Mission holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestia has 338 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Asteroid Redirect Mission's written reviews are positive against 79% of Celestia's.

Asteroid Redirect Mission ships an update every 2 months, Celestia fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Asteroid Redirect Mission | Celestia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteroid-redirect-mission/id968864537/reviews)** | [4.4 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **338** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 78.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 28 MB | 550 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) |

## What reviewers say

### Asteroid Redirect Mission

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteroid-redirect-mission/id968864537)

Explore NASA's groundbreaking robotic mission to an asteroid and its journey to the Moon. Learn about the science, technology, and societal benefits of human space exploration. Navigate through a wealth of multimedia content using interactive concept maps.

**Highlights:** Learn from NASA experts, Discover Mars exploration capabilities, Understand scientific benefits, Browse videos, images, and texts, Navigate with concept maps, Explore robotic mission details

**In-app purchases:** none


### Celestia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829)

Explore the universe in real-time 3D. Visit planets, moons, star clusters, and galaxies, viewing them from any point in space and time. Customize your experience with expandable content and detailed simulations.

**Highlights:** Real-time 3D space visualization, Explore planets, moons, stars, galaxies, Accurate solar system object positions, Interactive planetarium mode, Expandable content with add-ons, Customizable celestial databases

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Celestia PLUS (Weekly) | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Celestia PLUS (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Celestia PLUS (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Celestia PLUS (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Realistic space simulation
- 🌌 Ability to explore galaxies and star systems
- 🔍 Detailed planet and moon textures
- 📷 Great for taking screenshots
- 🤖 Reminds users of Space Engine

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🌌 Limited exploration beyond Milky Way and Andromeda
- 🌍 Flat terrain on planets
- 🔍 Lack of detail on some celestial objects
- 🔒 Paywall for some features

**Reported bugs**

- Milky Way and other galaxy textures not loading properly
- Crashes when using certain add-ons
- Issues with planet and moon orbits not being accurate

**Requested features**

- Add more exoplanets and distant star systems
- Implement terrain generation for planets
- Expand to include more galaxies and the overall universe structure
- Add support for black holes, pulsars, and other exotic objects
- Improve controls and camera movement


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Asteroid Redirect Mission free?

Asteroid Redirect Mission is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Celestia free?

Celestia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Asteroid Redirect Mission or Celestia?

Asteroid Redirect Mission is rated higher. Asteroid Redirect Mission averages 5.0 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Celestia averages 4.4 from 338 ratings.

### Do Asteroid Redirect Mission or Celestia have ads?

Neither Asteroid Redirect Mission nor Celestia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Asteroid Redirect Mission or Celestia?

Asteroid Redirect Mission ships an update every 2 months, and Celestia fortnightly. Most recently, Asteroid Redirect Mission was updated on October 8, 2026 and Celestia on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*