Periapsis Lab

Oltmanns und Partner GmbH

About this game

AN ORBIT IS MORE THAN ALTITUDE
Periapsis Lab is a small orbital flight sandbox with fifty defined experiments. Each begins with a research spacecraft in a circular orbit around an ice-blue planet. A green ring marks the desired higher orbit. Success requires both the closest and farthest orbital distances to lie within the target tolerance for three simulated seconds. Simply crossing the green ring is not enough.

CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY
Hold positive thrust to accelerate along the spacecraft velocity, or negative thrust to reduce that speed. A burn changes the shape and energy of the orbit. The periapsis display shows the closest predicted distance, while apoapsis shows the farthest. Watch both values when planning a maneuver. Fuel is limited, so short changes are useful for seeing how a burn affects the next part of the flight before spending more.

COAST BETWEEN BURNS
With gameplay guides enabled, a projected path helps explain where the spacecraft is heading. The simulation continues under gravity after you release the thrust control. The model is a simplified two-body system with a fixed central body; it is not an operational navigation tool or a reconstruction of a real mission. Displayed distances and fuel are game measurements designed to make the experiments understandable and repeatable.

A GUIDED TRANSFER
The Transfer guide can demonstrate a two-burn orbit change. Its first use resets the experiment to the starting orbit and applies the initial burn. Coast around to the far side of the transfer ellipse, then tap it again near apoapsis to circularize. If you tap too early, the message asks you to keep coasting. Once both orbital distances are in range, leave the spacecraft stable for three seconds to complete the experiment. You can instead perform the burns manually using the two thrust controls.

OBSERVE AND RETRY
Approaching the planet too closely or leaving the safe flight region ends the attempt. Retry restores the starting conditions. Each numbered experiment changes the starting radius, the target radius, or both. All fifty experiments are selectable, and completion marks remain on the device. A paused session saves position, velocity, remaining fuel and transfer progress, allowing you to continue the same flight later.

THE FLIGHT DESK
A wide landscape view leaves the planet and orbit in the central scene, with numerical readings at the sides and thrust controls below. Settings manage sound, haptics, decorative control feedback and the trajectory preview. The English interface works without an internet connection, advertisements, purchases, accounts or requested permissions. There is no multiplayer service or cloud save. Clearing local application data removes progress. Explore a burn, watch its consequences and discover why a patient coast can be the most useful part of a maneuver.