THRUSTERZ

Fly a rocket under real orbital physics. Launch, reach orbit, rendezvous, slingshot past moons and land, one burn at a time.

Free in your browser · your first flight takes 20 seconds · no sign-up
Download on the App Store
What is Thrusterz? ↓

A flight school for orbital mechanics

Thrusterz is a physics game about flying spacecraft the way they really move. You have a main engine, side thrusters that set your spin, and a limited fuel tank. Gravity does the rest. Burn the wrong way and you'll watch your orbit drift off course; burn at the right moment and a tiny nudge carries you to another planet.

  • Real Newtonian gravity. Every planet and moon pulls on you. Orbits, transfers and gravity assists work like they do for real spacecraft.
  • Learn by flying. Training starts with a single button and adds one control at a time. No physics knowledge needed.
  • Fuel is your score. Three stars for flying under par Δv. Then race other pilots on the leaderboards.
  • Plays anywhere. Keyboard on desktop, touch controls on phones and tablets, and an app for iPhone.

Five worlds of missions

  1. Training. One control at a time: liftoff, pointing, stopping, coasting, reference frames.
  2. Flight School. Reach orbit, circularize, deorbit, land on a spinning planet, dock with a station, and on to interplanetary transfers and moon tours.
  3. Payloads. Rockets that come apart: staging, deploying satellites and dodging the debris you leave behind.
  4. No-Fly Zones. Keep-out areas, asteroid fields and flip burns on a limited side-thruster budget.
  5. Pulsar. Radiation: hide in a planet's shadow, time your pass between a pulsar's sweeping beams, and keep your dose down.

Questions

Is Thrusterz free?

Yes. The whole game plays free in your browser, with no ads and no tracking.

Do I need to know physics?

No. The Training missions teach every control and idea as you fly. If you've played Kerbal Space Program you'll feel at home, but it isn't required.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes. Turn your phone sideways and it plays full screen with touch controls: rotate with your left thumb, burn with your right. On iPhone you can also get the app from the App Store.

How do I keep my progress?

Stars save on your device automatically. Pick a pilot name and you get a restore code that brings your stars back on any other device.