Space Simulation

AstroFly - - [freeware - Win 98/ME/2000/XP] Three-dimensional models of the Milky Way neighborhood.

Celestia - - A free 3D space simulator that lets you travel through the solar system and beyond to over 100,000 stars. [Windows, Mac; Open source.

ChView - - [Freeware - Win3.x/95] A three-dimensional aid to viewing some of the nearer stars of our galaxy, navigating the distances between them, and accessing basic stellar information.

Copernic space simulator - - A freeware program that lets you navigate through the solar system neighbourhood at different times in past or future, and to see the sky in a stereographic projection.

3D Solar System Simulator - - A Java applet that shows an interactive 3D representation of the planets and satellites of the solar system.

GrandTour - - Accurate wireframe simulator for the Voyager and Giotto space missions, with animation capability. Developed at JPL for science/navigation, and filmed by the BBC/NOVA. Conveniently runs from any Windows/DOS. Freeware.

Gravel - - [freeware - Windows] Models the interaction between bodies in space according to Newtonian physics.

Gravity Simulator - - [freeware - Win 9x/NT/2k/XP] Simulates orbits of planets and other celestial bodies.

Liftoff Space Simulator - - [commercial - Windows] Hands-on presentations and simulations about being an astronaut and commanding the space shuttle.

OpenUniverse - - [open source - Win95/98/NT/2000 or Unix/Linux and OpenGL] Newest NASA data creates a fast 3D display of our home solar system, 25000 stars, galaxy, planets, moons, asteroids and even controllable spacecraft.

Solar Kingdom - - [commercial, demo available - Win95/98/NT] A solar system simulator and planetarium, with planetary encyclopaedia.

Solar System Applet - - [online Java applet] This 3-d solar system applet can be rotated and zoomed with the mouse. Below it are links to other online gravity simulators and resources for building solar system simulations.

Space simulator and 3d engine tutorials - - Space simulators reviews and tutorials to program a 3d engine for a space sim.

SpaceWander Virtual Space Trip! - - SpaceWander's award-winning multimedia tour of the Universe features real space pictures from NAS.

Starry Night - - [commercial - Win95/98/NT, Macintosh] A planetarium and solar-system simulator; lets you view the universe from anywhere in our planetary neighbourhood in the past, present, and future.

StarStrider software 3D planetarium - - [shareware - Win 98/ME/2K/XP] A 3D software planetarium. Photo realistic real-time 3D renderings of 2 million stars, galaxies, nebulae, and the Milky Way. Includes several educative tutorials.

Xstar N-body Solver - - [open source - Unix] Displays results to the screen or can be used as a screen saver. Includes a college level introductory text on the n-body problem.