# SpaceEngine > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SpaceEngine > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SpaceEngine.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceEngine > Source revision: 1356926435 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Astronomy computer program "Space Engine" redirects here. For the voxel-based sandbox game, see [Space Engineers](/source/Space_Engineers). SpaceEngine Logo Original author Vladimir Romanyuk Developer Cosmographic Software Release 0.74 / June 2010 Stable release 0.991.49.2095 / 8 December, 2025 Preview release 0.991.49.2095 / 3 December, 2025 Written in C++ (main program) GLSL (shaders) Operating system Windows 10 and later (64-bit) Linux (planned) macOS (planned) Size 4 GB (software only) to 50 GB (with all optional DLCs: Solar System HD texture packs) Available in More than 20 languages List of languages English, Catalan, Croatian, Chinese, Czech, Spanish, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Armenian, Turkish, Japanese, Korean, etc. Type Space simulation License Proprietary[1] Website spaceengine.org **SpaceEngine** is an interactive 3D [planetarium](/source/Planetarium) and [astronomy](/source/Astronomy) software[2] initially developed by Russian [astronomer](/source/Astronomer) and [programmer](/source/Programmer) Vladimir Romanyuk and released in June 2010.[3] Romanyuk and the SpaceEngine team later founded the American [game studio](/source/Game_studio) Cosmographic Software in [Connecticut](/source/Connecticut) in February, 2022 to continue development. SpaceEngine creates a 1:1 scale three-dimensional planetarium representing the entire [observable universe](/source/Observable_universe), combining real astronomical data with scientifically accurate [procedural generation](/source/Procedural_generation) algorithms. Users can travel through space in any direction or at any speed and can move forwards or backwards in time.[4] SpaceEngine is currently in [beta](/source/Software_release_life_cycle#Beta) status. Up to version 0.9.8.0E, released in August 2017, it was available as [freeware](/source/Freeware) for [Microsoft Windows](/source/Microsoft_Windows). Version 0.990 beta, the first paid edition, was released on [Steam](/source/Steam_(service)) in June 2019. The program fully supports [VR headsets](/source/VR_headset). Properties of objects, such as [temperature](/source/Temperature), [mass](/source/Mass), [radius](/source/Radius), and [spectrum](/source/Spectrum), are presented on the [HUD](/source/HUD_(video_gaming)) and in an accessible information window. Users can observe a wide range of celestial objects, from small [asteroids](/source/Asteroid) and [moons](/source/Natural_satellite) to large [galaxy clusters](/source/Galaxy_cluster), similar to other simulators like [Celestia](/source/Celestia), OpenSpace, [Gaia Sky](/source/Gaia_Sky), and [Nightshade NG](/source/Nightshade_(astronomy_software)). The default version of SpaceEngine includes over 130,000 real objects, featuring stars from the [Hipparcos](/source/Hipparcos) catalog, [galaxies](/source/Galaxy) from the [NGC](/source/New_General_Catalogue) and [IC](/source/New_General_Catalogue#Index_Catalogue) catalogs, many well-known [nebulae](/source/Nebula), and all known [exoplanets](/source/Exoplanet) and their [stars](/source/Star).[1] ## Functionality The UI of *SpaceEngine*, showing a procedurally generated [earth-like planet](/source/Earth_analog) with large but faint [planetary rings](/source/Planetary_rings) The proclaimed goal of SpaceEngine is scientific realism, and to reproduce every type of known astronomical phenomenon.[1] It uses [star catalogs](/source/Star_catalogue) along with procedural generation to create a cubical [universe](/source/Universe) over 10 billion [parsecs](/source/Parsec) (32.6 billion [light-years](/source/Light-year)) on each side, roughly centered on the [barycenter](/source/Barycenter) of the [Solar System](/source/Solar_System). Within the software, users can use search tools to filter through [astronomical objects](/source/Astronomical_object) based on certain characteristics. In the case of [planets](/source/Planet) and [moons](/source/Natural_satellite), specific environmental types, [surface temperatures](/source/Surface_temperature), and [pressures](/source/Atmospheric_pressure) can be used to filter through the vast amount of different [procedurally generated](/source/Procedural_generation) worlds. SpaceEngine also has a built-in flight simulator (currently in Alpha) which allows for users to spawn in a selection of fictional spacecraft which can be flown in an accurate model of [orbital mechanics](/source/Orbital_mechanics) and also an atmospheric flight model when entering the atmospheres of the various planets and moons. The spacecraft range from small [SSTO](/source/Single-stage-to-orbit) [spaceplanes](/source/Spaceplane), to large interstellar spacecraft which are all designed with realism in mind, featuring [radiators](/source/Radiator), [fusion rockets](/source/Fusion_rocket), and [micrometeorite](/source/Micrometeorite) shields.[5] Interstellar spacecraft simulate the hypothetical [Alcubierre drive](/source/Alcubierre_drive), including the relativistic effects that would occur in reality.[6] ### Catalog objects The real objects that SpaceEngine includes are the [Hipparcos catalog](/source/Hipparcos_catalog) for stars, the NGC and IC catalogs for galaxies, all known exoplanets, and prominent [star clusters](/source/Globular_cluster), nebulae, and Solar System objects including some [comets](/source/Comet) and [asteroids](/source/Asteroid).[1] ### Procedurally generated objects Objects that are procedurally generated in Space Engine are aimed to be as realistic as possible. The objects include galaxies, star clusters (open and globular), nebulae and individual stars, containing terrestrial planets and gas giants and moons. These objects, like non-procedurally generated objects, can be saved manually by the user and searched for. ### Wiki and locations The software has its own built-in "[wiki](/source/Wiki)" database which gives detailed information on all celestial objects and enables a player to create custom names and descriptions for them. It also has a locations database where a player can save any position and time in the simulation and load it again in the future.[7] ### Extensions SpaceEngine has a fairly large modding community dedicated to expanding on the program's current catalogues, improving things like texture quality, and even improving the program's terrain and cloud generation as a whole (See [Rodrigo's Mod](https://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?t=251)). Some SE add-on creators create fictional star systems for their [worldbuilding](/source/Worldbuilding) project, others do 3D modelling for spacecraft add-ons, and some do completely different things. These extensions are all available for download from [SpaceEngine's Web Forums](https://forum.spaceengine.org). ## Limitations Although objects that form part of a planetary system move, and stars rotate about their [axes](/source/Rotation_around_a_fixed_axis) and [orbit](/source/Orbit) each other in multiple [star systems](/source/Star_system), stellar [proper motion](/source/Proper_motion) or precession is not simulated, and galaxies are at fixed locations and do not rotate. Most real-world spacecraft such as *[Voyager 2](/source/Voyager_2)* are not provided with SpaceEngine. The few spacecraft that are included do not use real trajectories or accurate orientations, as all bodies are required to follow an orbit that can be modeled with [Keplerian elements](/source/Kepler_orbit). However, real-world spacecraft can be downloaded and manually controlled by the end user.[8] [Interstellar](/source/Interstellar_medium) [light absorption](/source/Extinction_(astronomy)) is not modeled in SpaceEngine.[1] [Intrinsic variable stars](/source/Variable_star#Intrinsic_variable_stars) are not supported by SpaceEngine. In fact, most, if not all, simulators do not support intrinsic variable stars. Additionally, [time dilation](/source/Time_dilation) is not modelled in SpaceEngine, although [gravitational lensing](/source/Gravitational_lens) and the [Doppler effect](/source/Doppler_effect) are modelled accurately; the 4D shader model uses math from [Albert Einstein](/source/Albert_Einstein)'s work. [9] Gravity is not simulated in SpaceEngine outside the orbits of moons, planets and stars in a system, with the exception of the controllable spacecraft. ## Development Development of SpaceEngine began in 2005,[10] with its first public release in June 2010. The software is written in [C++](/source/C%2B%2B). The engine uses [OpenGL](/source/OpenGL) as its graphical [API](/source/API) and uses [shaders](/source/Shader) written in [GLSL](/source/GLSL). As of the release of version 0.990, the shaders have been [encrypted](/source/Encrypted) to protect against [plagiarism](/source/Plagiarism). Plans have been made to start opening them in a way that allows the community to develop special content for the game, with ship [engine](/source/Engine) effects being made available to users who have purchased the game.[11] On May 27, 2019, the [Steam](/source/Steam_(service)) store page for SpaceEngine was made public in preparation for the release of the first paid version, 0.990 beta.[12] SpaceEngine is currently only available for Windows PCs; however, there are plans for the software to support macOS and Linux in the future.[13] Even though SpaceEngine only natively supports Windows, the Steam version can be run on Linux via Steam's [Proton](/source/Proton_(software)) compatibility tool. ## See also - [Celestia](/source/Celestia) - [Space flight simulation game](/source/Space_flight_simulation_game) - [List of space flight simulation games](/source/List_of_space_flight_simulation_games) - [Planetarium software](/source/Planetarium_software) - [List of observatory software](/source/List_of_observatory_software) - [List of games with Oculus Rift support](/source/List_of_games_with_Oculus_Rift_support) - [Gravity (software)](/source/Gravity_(software)) - [Google Earth](/source/Google_Earth) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FAQ_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FAQ_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FAQ_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-FAQ_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-FAQ_1-4) Vladimir, Romanyuk. ["Space Engine - Frequently Asked Questions"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150930035134/http://en.spaceengine.org/index/faq/0-29). *en.spaceengine.org*. Archived from [the original](http://en.spaceengine.org/index/faq/0-29) on 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2017-01-15. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["SpaceEngine"](https://store.steampowered.com/app/314650/SpaceEngine/). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210602135635/https://store.steampowered.com/app/314650/SpaceEngine/) from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2022-01-14. The world's first science-based photorealistic interactive 3D planetarium that models the entire Universe, using procedural generation for uncharted areas. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Thomas Tamblyn (October 21, 2014). ["Man Builds Massive Virtual Universe You Can Download And Explore"](http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10/21/universe-simulator-program_n_6019968.html). *[The Huffington Post](/source/The_Huffington_Post)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230501054807/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10/21/universe-simulator-program_n_6019968.html) from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Cara Ellison (March 11, 2013). ["2012: A Space Engine"](http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/11/2012-a-space-engine/). [Rock, Paper, Shotgun](/source/Rock%2C_Paper%2C_Shotgun). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230502101105/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/11/2012-a-space-engine/) from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Space ships – Space Engine"](https://spaceengine.org/universe/space-ships). *spaceengine.org*. Retrieved 2022-01-24. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Space Flight School – Space Engine"](https://spaceengine.org/manual/space-flight-school/). *spaceengine.org*. Retrieved 2022-01-24. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Wilke, Stephan (10 May 2013). ["Mit Space Engine 0.97 das Weltall erkunden: Faszinierende Ansichten des Universums"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151208160201/http://www.pcgameshardware.de/Spiele-Thema-239104/News/Mit-Space-Engine-097-das-Weltall-erkunden-Faszinierende-Ansichten-des-Universums-1069273/). PC Games Hardware. Archived from [the original](http://www.pcgameshardware.de/Spiele-Thema-239104/News/Mit-Space-Engine-097-das-Weltall-erkunden-Faszinierende-Ansichten-des-Universums-1069273/) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/browse/?appid=314650&searchtext=&childpublishedfileid=0&browsesort=trend§ion=readytouseitems&requiredtags%5B%5D=Probe](https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/browse/?appid=314650&searchtext=&childpublishedfileid=0&browsesort=trend§ion=readytouseitems&requiredtags%5B%5D=Probe) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Visualizing General Relativity - SpaceEngine"](https://spaceengine.org/articles/visualizing-general-relativity/). Retrieved 2026-05-30. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Интервью с разработчиком SpaceEngine - Владимиром Романюком"](http://www.elite-games.ru/conference/viewtopic.php?t=56775&sid=5b476f64debe8ad35f2ba327b865d1cf) [Interview with developer of SpaceEngine - Vladimir Romanyuk] (in Russian). Elite Games. 2012-03-12. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025403/http://www.elite-games.ru/conference/viewtopic.php?t=56775&sid=5b476f64debe8ad35f2ba327b865d1cf) from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-23. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["0.990.41 Public Beta Release"](https://store.steampowered.com/newshub/app/314650/view/2716185857421265350). 2 August 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-19. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Romanyuk, Vladimir (2019-05-27). ["Steam Store Page is Live!"](http://spaceengine.org/blog190527/). *Space Engine*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190527183853/http://spaceengine.org/blog190527/) from the original on 2019-05-27. Retrieved 2019-05-27. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Vladimir, Romanyuk. ["Space Engine - Funding and Donations"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170118192703/http://en.spaceengine.org/index/funding_and_donations/0-26). *en.spaceengine.org*. Archived from [the original](http://en.spaceengine.org/index/funding_and_donations/0-26) on 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2017-01-17. ## External links - [Official website](https://spaceengine.org/) v t e Astronomy software Open source Cartes du Ciel Celestia NASA World Wind Stellarium WorldWide Telescope Freeware Google Mars Google Moon Google Sky Proprietary SpaceEngine --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SpaceEngine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceEngine) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceEngine?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.