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Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Orbiter space flight simulator 2016

A Realistic Spaceflight Simulator

Orbiter is a spaceflight simulator that models realistic physics and orbital mechanics for space missions. Players can pilot spacecraft, manage trajectories, and execute complex maneuvers around celestial bodies.… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Orbiter space flight simulator 2016 launched in 2016; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

  1. 1

    Try (and fail) to land Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket

    2015 · scratch.mit.edu · its alternatives →

  2. 2

    Lunar lander type game with computational fluid dynamics - s-macke/Interplanetary-Postal-Service

    2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

  3. 3

    I (17y/o) have been developing a rocket launch simulation that allows the user to explore what it's like launching a rocket from earth and putting it into orbit. This idea originally started as an educational simulation but as i've gone more down the rabbit hole the more i've wanted to make it realistic. The problem is that I've never had a formal orbital mechanics class or anything like that so I don't know what I'm missing, what I currently have implemented is: Variable gravity Variable Atmospheric drag (US Standard Atmosphere 1976) Multi-stage rockets Closed-loop guidance /…

    Jan 2026 · donutthejedi.com · its alternatives →

  4. 4

    Second only to working at Space X

    2015 · kerbalspaceprogram.com · its alternatives →

  5. 5

    I’ve been working on this game for the past few weeks. It’s written in plain JavaScript, mostly with canvas, with no dependencies. The code is here: https://github.com/ehmorris/lunar-lander

    2023 · ehmorris.com · its alternatives →

  6. 6GI

    Just for fun and self education, I've built this over a weekend to teach myself why orbits exist, not just show planets going around. Something that was never clearly explain to me in school. It opens with a guided tour that builds the idea up step by step: two bodies and the equal/opposite force, inertia (the Sun is removed and Earth just drifts straight), then "an orbit is falling and continuously missing," cosmic velocities with a little rocket, Voyager 1 & 2's real gravity assists (the clock runs the actual 1977–1989 dates so the planets orbit into their grand-tour alignment and the…

    Jun 2026 · qunabu.github.io · its alternatives →

  7. 7

    I got pretty good at (and very addicted to) the lunar lander game from a few days ago... so I decided to make an autopilot for the lander based on what I felt like was the best strategy! Now I can have perfect landings every time without lifting a finger :D Writing the autopilot code was a lot more fun than I expected! It felt a bit like programming a robot. Source code: https://github.com/szhu/lunar-lander-autopilot Original lander HN post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35032506

    2023 · szhu.github.io · its alternatives →

  8. 8MS

    Did this a few years ago. Seems apropos. Sources and more here: https://github.com/EngineersNeedArt/Mooncraft2000

    Apr 2026 · mooncraft2000.com · its alternatives →

  9. 9

    Inspiring the next generation of spaceflight, interactively

    2021 · its alternatives →

  10. 10

    Pilot the SpaceX Dragon 2 vehicle to the ISS!

    2020 · iss-sim.spacex.com · its alternatives →

  11. 11
    Orbit▲637

    Mission control for your community

    2021 · orbit.love · its alternatives →

  12. 12RD
  13. 13

    The all-in-one communication space builder

    2022 · its alternatives →

  14. 14

    Detect business issues without staring at a dashboard

    2020 · getorbiter.com · its alternatives →

  15. 15

    3D simulator that models planets, orbits, propulsion systems

    Nov 2025 · solar.chriswest.tech · its alternatives →

  16. 16

    Web-based lunar voxel game. Contribute to EngineersNeedArt/Mooncraft2000 development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

  17. 17

    Rocket simulation game for iOS

    2019 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  18. 18

    I built this with Claude cause I always wanted to tinker with a simulation economoy and I love space themes. A space-economy sim where nothing is scripted. A few hundred autonomous ships each run their own planner. Some chase the best trade route, take a delivery contract, refuel, retrofit at a shipyard, or dock so the crew can rest before morale tanks. Markets price everything off supply with shortage-urgency multipliers, factions tax and subsidize, populations migrate when they're unhappy, and stations that go broke get abandoned and rot. It started as an Elixir/Phoenix prototype, but…

    Jul 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  19. 19
    Spacetime▲166

    Be the first to know about space launches

    2020 · its alternatives →

  20. 20

    Hey HN! I made Orbit, an iOS app that allows you to see the satellites, planets, and constellations above you in AR, on a 2D map, and on a 3D globe. The app includes more than 15,000 objects tracked by CelesTrack, together with their pass predictions, descriptions, and detailed orbital data. A searchable catalog of all objects is also available, as well as a built-in chatbot designed to answer any space-related questions you might have. This is my first published iOS app, so any feedback is greatly appreciated! App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6772174570

    Jul 2026 · nagylukas.github.io · its alternatives →

  21. 21
  22. 22

    Fully automated SpaceX ISS Dragon docking simulator system. - danirukun/spacex-iss-docking-sim-autopilot

    2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

  23. 23

    Bet on your billionaire space racer

    2021 · its alternatives →

  24. 24

    Learn how to be a professional pilot

    2015 · toplightgaming.com · its alternatives →

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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →