Atmosphere-Space Transition Region Explorer (ASTRE) 3D Model

A model of the Atmosphere-Space Transition Region Explorer (ASTRE), a proposed mission to study how Earth's upper atmosphere interacts with the ionised gases of space. It shows a tall drum-shaped body covered in blue solar cells over a gold base, four long wire booms spread in a cross, a slim mast on top and a lattice boom beside it.

Technical details: about 67,000 polygons and 200,000 vertices, with 24 colour materials and no image textures. The mesh is moderate, so it runs well on desktop in real time but is worth trimming for mobile. It is scaled to 5 metres for AiZity's catalogue scale.

The download includes GLB for web viewers and three.js, FBX for Unity, Unreal Engine and Maya, OBJ as a widely supported mesh, and BLEND for Blender. AiZity cleaned up the original (centred, grounded and renamed the parts) and converted it to these formats.

Good for space weather explainers, upper-atmosphere science lessons, mission proposal visuals and satellite animations.

License: Public domain, made by NASA/Christopher R. Meaney (a U.S. government work). Free for personal and commercial use; please credit NASA. NASA logos and insignia are not included, and use must not suggest NASA endorsement.