Mission:ISS
Mission: ISS
Board the International Space Station, learn to move in zero gravity, dock a supply spacecraft, and take a spacewalk. Built from authentic NASA models and guided by real astronauts. Free. Emmy-nominated. 5 million users.
~5 million users worldwide
Mission: ISS is a free VR experience developed by Magnopus and published by Meta/Oculus in collaboration with NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. Since its original release in March 2017 for Oculus Rift, it has transported nearly five million virtual astronauts to the International Space Station. It is a non-profit initiative: no one is paid when you download it. It is Emmy-nominated, and the Meta Quest version holds a 4.1-star rating from over 1,800 reviews.
The experience was built from authentic NASA ISS models and refined through direct consultation with multiple astronauts and the VR Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Real NASA astronaut footage and personal accounts are woven throughout the experience, providing the kind of first-hand guidance that no studio could fabricate. Magnopus's background in Hollywood visual effects and interactive entertainment gives the simulation production values that feel genuinely cinematic.
The experience was later made available on Meta Quest (2019), expanding it from the PC VR headset to standalone use. It has recently also appeared on Steam. Road to VR called it "an impressively detailed view of life in zero gravity" and Space.com covered its release as a significant educational achievement in partnership with NASA.
- Completely free on Meta Quest and Steam
- Non-profit initiative: produced for public education, not commercial gain
- NASA, ESA, CSA partnership: unimpeachable scientific credentials
- Emmy-nominated; 4.1 stars from 1,800+ Quest reviews
- ~5 million users since 2017
- Three genuinely interactive activities: navigation, docking, EVA spacewalk
- Real astronaut video narration throughout
- Suitable for all ages including primary school
- Available on standalone Meta Quest
- Original 2017 visuals; some textures show their age
- Primarily Meta Quest; Steam version is newer and has fewer reviews
- No curriculum structure within the experience itself — teacher framing needed
- Some users report motion discomfort from zero-gravity navigation
- Developer
- Magnopus
- Publisher
- Meta / Oculus
- Partners
- NASA • ESA • CSA
- Price
- Free (non-profit initiative)
- Platforms
- Meta Quest (standalone) • SteamVR
- Released
- March 2017 (Rift) / 2019 (Quest)
- Quest Rating
- 4.1★ • 1,800+ reviews (Very Positive)
- Users
- ~5 million worldwide
- Award
- Emmy Nominated
- Age Rating
- Everyone
