Is Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space on Steam?

No. Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

When did Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space release?

Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space was first released on December 31, 1983.

Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space

Dec 31, 1983SimulatorAtari 2600Atari 8-bitCommodore C64/128/MAXZX SpectrumAtari 5200

Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space — frequently asked questions

Is Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space on Steam?: No. Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space on?: Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space is available on Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Atari 5200, Apple II, Amstrad CPC, MSX, Commodore 64.
When did Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space release?: Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space was first released on December 31, 1983.

About Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space

Space Shuttle is a simulation game where you are the pilot of space shuttle Discovery. Your goal is to launch the Discovery, establish an orbit around the Earth, open the cargo bay doors and recover a satellite to perform repairs, and finally land the Discovery successfully, all while using as little fuel as possible. Each time the complete mission is accomplished, it will then repeat at a higher difficulty level (in the higher difficulty levels the satellite has a more erratic flight path). The game is played from a first person perspective in the space shuttle cockpit where you can control everything from the shuttles engines to cargo bay doors. When the game is over you will be given a ranking which is based on the number of successful dockings and the amount of fuel that was used.

Summary via IGDB.

Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space on Wikipedia

Space Shuttle: A Journey into Space is a space flight simulator game designed by Jessica Stevens for the Atari 2600 and published by Activision in 1983. It is one of the first realistic spacecraft simulations available for home systems. Space Shuttle was adapted to the Atari 8-bit computers and Atari 5200 by Bob Henderson (1984), then ported to the ZX Spectrum (1984), Commodore 64 (1984), Amstrad CPC (1986), and MSX (1986). The 1984 Activision Software catalog also mentions an Apple II version.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Atari 5200, Apple II, Amstrad CPC, MSX, Commodore 64
Developer: Activision
Publisher: Activision
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Non-fiction

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

52/100

from 5 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Built by
Atari 2600	1983	$13	$42	$95	2 reviews	Woodside Design Associates (designed by Jessica Stevens)

Also released on: Atari 8-bit · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · Atari 5200 · Apple II · Amstrad CPC · MSX · Commodore 64. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

$13

Complete

$42

Sealed

$95

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Activision	Standard	AZ-033	Scarce
North America Activision	Blue	AZ-033	Scarce+
North America Activision	White	AZ-033	Rare+

Also released in South America by Rentacom, Uloc.

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1983
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

An ambitious, switch-heavy shuttle simulator that wants a manual and an overlay, not a quick play.

Jessica Stevens designed Space Shuttle: A Journey into Space for the 2600, and Activision published it in 1983. It is one of the first realistic spacecraft simulations made for home systems. You fly the critical phases of a shuttle mission, including launch, stabilizing orbit, docking, the deorbit burn, reentry and landing, each with its own procedure.

The 2600 version used every switch on the console, so it shipped with an overlay to label them. It was later adapted to the Atari 8-bit computers and 5200 and ported to several home computers.

How it was made

Designed by Jessica Stevens, developed by Woodside Design Associates and published by Activision in November 1983, with a PAL release in 1984. Bob Henderson adapted it for the Atari 8-bit computers and 5200.

What the press said at the time

Computer Entertainer Vol. 2 No. 8	November 1983	Graphics ★★★★ · Play-Action ★★★★
Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 2 No. 3	January 1984	4 joysticks

“This brilliant simulation of space [f]light proves that talented designers can still work wonders with the 2600 system. This one's so good schools are even using it to teach concepts”
— Electronic Games, January 1985

“SPACE SHUTTLE is unlike any game you've ever played, because it's much more than a game. … We're very impressed with SPACE SHUTTLE. The graphics are of computer quality, and the game itself is totally fascinating.”
— Computer Entertainer, November 1983

“Space Shuttle is the most advanced VCS game yet. It's difficult and complicated no matter how good you get or how often you play. … If you've bought a computer and put your VCS in the closet, dust it off for this one.”
— Electronic Fun with Computers & Games, January 1984

“sounds like something not usually seen on the VCS, that's because it's one of a kind. … Space Shuttle is a work of programming art, and Steve Kitchen is probably one of the most gifted designer/programmers in the field. Even on a 64K computer, this program would be a masterpiece.”
— Electronic Games, October 1984

Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system. Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 8 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

How the Atari 2600 version differs

The 2600 version uses every console switch as a shuttle control and shipped with an overlay to label them.

Because it relies on the console's own switches, Electronic Games warned that the 2600 cartridge will not work on the 2600 adapters for other systems.

Also on other platforms

Atari 8-bit · Atari 5200 · ZX Spectrum · Amstrad CPC · Commodore 64 · MSX

Atari 2600	Woodside Design Associates (designed by Jessica Stevens)
Atari 8-bit	Bob Henderson
Atari 5200	Bob Henderson

Worth knowing

Thirteen months of coding. Designer Steve Kitchen told The Video Game Update: "I spent three months just studying it [the NASA manual] to understand the Shuttle in detail. The game itself took thirteen months of coding. (Six months is about normal for a game.)"
A hidden constellation. The Video Game Update reported: "Steve programmed the stars into the game. He even put in a constellation. We will let you figure out which one."
No 2600 adapters. Electronic Games warned that "all of the toggles, switches and input devices on the Atari 2600 system were reprogrammed to function as part of the shuttle's console. (This means that the program will not work on Atari 2600 adapters)"

Before you buy

Low risk; no reproductions are documented. For a complete copy, check that the console switch overlay is included along with the manual, since the game uses every switch on the console. AtariAge rates this late Activision release a 6 for rarity. If you play on a 7800, note that some later NTSC 7800 consoles have trouble with this cartridge, so test it on the console you will use.