Reentry - An Orbital Simulator

[Asid]

Reentry has been updated to 0.99.82 - Retro planning, Fuel Balance, Improvements
Wed, 3 September 2025



This is a massive update with fixes and improvements learned from my own playthroughs, and corrects bugs reported by players. The list is long, so be sure to check the full patch notes in the bottom.

The main intent of the update is to improve trajectory control in Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. This includes new tools for retrograde burn planning in Mercury and Gemini, and small improvements to the Apollo Maneuver Planner, Trans-Lunar Injection and Trans-Earth Injection tools.

The update also aims to improve the general flow of the game like improved fuel balancing, removal of various dev-flags, game mechanic fixes, and visual/rendering improvements.

Note: If you experience new issues related to this update, please report them. You can revert back the a previous build using the Steam betas tab for the game. Most recent rollback option: Reentry Version 0.99.81


What's new in 0.99.82?



Read on...

[Asid]

Reentry has been patched to 0.99.83 - CM ECS lesson fixes, Retroburn Planner fix
Fri, 5 September 2025



This is mostly a hot fix patch for the Retroburn Planners to properly set the Time to Retrofire timers when clicking the Orange SET button, and a blocking bug in the last mission of the Apollo 13 Historical Mission - a bug that came when I improved the CMC NO ATT logic.

In addition it contains an overhaul of the Command Module ECS lessons, and some minor updates to the Mercury and Gemini Save States.

The patch also implements a color differentiation between the Interaction Highlighter and the Attention Highlighter.

Interaction Highlighter vs. Attention Highlighter:
The Attention Highlighter is used to show where something is, without the need of interacting with it. Previously they had the same color, making it hard to distinguish between the two. This could result in accidental interactions with switches that was simply just highlighted to show you where something is, without having to move it. The Attention Highlighter is now of a lavender color compared to the ice blue color of the Interaction Highlighter.

All of the four CM ECS lessons has been updated to use this Attention Highlighter to better show you where switches, instruments and gauges are.

Patch notes:

  - Hot fix: Mercury and Gemini Retroburn Planner: Fix for the orange SET button to automatically update Time To Retro timers.

  - Hot fix: Apollo 13 (Historical): Fixes to the last Reentry mission to use V40 N20 to remove the NO ATT flag

  - Added Pe and EI nodes on the TEI tools entry trajectory predictor

  - Switch/component attention system: Highlight switch color if lesson only wants to show where something is now has a different color than the one that wants you to move a switch to a different position (interact vs. attention)

  - Added the Attention Highlighter system to Apollo (previously it was only in Mercury and Gemini)

  - Refined the Apollo Command Module ECS: O2 academy lesson

  - Refined the Apollo Command Module ECS: PSC academy lesson

  - Refined the Apollo Command Module ECS: H2O academy lesson

  - Refined the Apollo Command Module ECS: COOLANT academy lesson

  - Refined the Apollo Lunar Module Powered Descent academy lesson

  - Improved Mercury Save State with some additional internal system values

  - Improved Gemini Save State with some additional internal system values

[Asid]

Reentry has been updated to 0.99.85 - Gemini, Academy, game storage fixes
Thu, 25 September 2025



This patch continues to iterate on game content where I have improved the Lunar Module Academy, the Gemini Academy and multiple Campaign missions. It also fixes issues with the games storage system, bugs, and improves the Gemini Virtual Cockpit to better take advantage of its features.



Note: This update touches the games core storage system. If you experience new issues related to this update, please report them. You can revert back the a previous build using the Steam betas tab for the game. Most recent rollback option: Reentry Version 0.99.84.


Game Storage
There has been some reports where users has been unable to launch the game if the games storage file for some reason gets corrupt. This patch tries to improve how the storage system works, and rolls out multiple changes to it. When you launch the game, your existing storage.rsf file will be migrated to the new game.rsf file.

These files are located in the System folder for the game:
%appdata%\..\LocalLow\Wilhelmsen Studios\ReEntry\System

I addition, if the game detects an issue with the game storage file, like it being corrupt, it will re-generate a new file.

Please let me know if you stumble upon any issues related to the migration of the storage files and if this fixes the issue where a corrupt file prevents the game from reaching the Main Menu.



Read on...

[Asid]

Reentry has been patched to 0.99.87 - Gemini Ascent, Academy Exams, Storage
Mon, 29 September 2025



This small update will fix an issue in the Gemini Ascent logic that, for some players only, caused the yaw steering to fail. It also makes some minor improvements to all the in-game Academy exams (aka. Pilot Certification Flights), improves some of the internal logic of the games Storage system, and adds the missing needle to the 3-pointer Altimeter in the Gemini Cockpit.



I also moved the ROADMAP button on the Main Menu a bit up to make it more visible, in case you are curious about it.




Patch Notes:

  - Gemini Ascent Guidance fixes

  - Fixes to the Pilot Certificate Flights (PCFs)

  - Storage System improvements

  - Minor Gemini panel fixes (Altimeter)

  - Roadmap placement on the Main Menu

  - Fixed a potentially blocking issue related to the Lunar Landing from Launch Pad without using a Save State

[Asid]

Reentry has been updated to 0.99.88 - Sound Design, Engine Plume test. bug fixes
Fri, 3 October 2025



This updates rolls out a Sound Design overhaul containing some dynamic cockpit sound effects, and RCS jet sounds, adds a new engine plume test to the CSM SPS, LM DPS and LM APS engines (orbit view only), and fixes some critical bugs.

Note: This update touches the games core storage system. If you experience new issues related to this update, please report them. You can revert back the a previous build using the Steam betas tab for the game. Most recent rollback option: Reentry Version 0.99.87.




Sound Design / Soundscaping

System Components

This update rolls out a system that makes it possible add dynamic sound effects to the Virtual Cockpits. I will start small with the sound design elements, but have added an inverter fan, suit fan and a cockpit fan sound effects to these systems across all programs.




Reaction Control Jets

In addition I have worked on the RCS jet sound design where I have added improved logic to make it possible to hear the ON/OFF clack sound effect of the valves opening for various thrusters, and the flow of gas for combustion. Thanks to Dee-Jay for helping me with the RCS sound effects.




Engine Plumes

I have rolled out a more sophisticated engine plume handler. It is currently in its initial version when it comes to look and feel, transparency settings etc, but rolling this out as a test for the Apollo CSM SPS, LM DPS and LM APS engines initially. If these seem to work I will improve the visuals of them, and extend the system to also support some of the 2nd/3rd ascent stages of Mercury/Gemini/Saturn V/Saturn IB.








Language Issue on Campaign Pages

I have finally tracked down an issue that causes the Campaign Pages to sometimes load the wrong language. For example if you have set the language to English, some users could see the Spanish version of the Campaign pages instead of the English version. This is a rare bug so it was hard to track down.




Checklist Guidance System: Complete a Checklist improvement

I have improved the checklist guidance system (the system that handles the two RUN buttons and the checklist steps that are queued up) to internally tag each step with what checklist they belong to. This can make it detect that you have completed a particular checklist if you have multiple queued up. In the future this can be used to more advanced checklist flow as was suggested during my AMA session. But one step at a time, let us see if this implementation works well and is stable.

Thanks all for reporting issue. I have also detected that some crashes has been reported recently. I am curious if it could be related to Unity 6.1 builds and latest graphics drivers or something, will need to dive a bit further into this as I check out Unity 6.2 and a fix for the lately detected security issue.

Patch Notes:

  - Fixed an issue with the Lunar Module Ascent Lesson

  - Made so it is possible to end P79 in the CSM

  - Gemini Yaw-Steering during ascent guidance fixes

  - VR: Made so you can move the camera with the keyboard

  - Fixed so Superimpose can't be UI navigated (Left, Right, Up, Down)

  - Apollo Command Module Astro/Crew collider check fixes

  - Sound Design updates

  - Fixed an issue where the Language of a Campaign could be set to something else than the selected language (reported Spanish language in one or two campaigns, while English is selected)

  - Improved the checklist guide system to detect if a particular checklist has been completed even if you have enqueued other checklists as well.

  - Engine Plume test for the CSM SPS, LM DPS and LM APS engines

[Asid]

Reentry has been updated to 0.99.89 - Rendering, Bug Fixes
Mon, 6 October 2025



This update improves Mercury autopilot fuel efficiency, updates rendering and lighting systems, adds the new Plume Renderer to Mercury and Gemini, enhances the Mercury cockpit, and resolves reported issues.

Note: If you experience new issues related to this update, please report them. You can revert back the a previous build using the Steam betas tab for the game. Most recent rollback option: Reentry Version 0.99.88.


Mercury ASCS

The Mercury ASCS is responsible for automatic attitude control. I made some improvements to it and fixed an issue where it would typically overshoot in roll, then enter a ping/pong mode until the target has been reached. I corrected the rate limiter issue that caused this to happen, and improved a few other things to reduce fuel consumption.

Tips: It is always recommended to use a manual mode for most of the flight.

https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//33371327/f7a001abf383c6d1ea50e2dff653d849d46c709c.png


Earth Rendering / Atmosphere shader fixes

I fixed a shader issue in the Earth Atmosphere shader that previously caused a NaN (Not a Number error). This created a small spark in the atmosphere as the faulty pixel was overbright and triggered the bloom system (many believed this was lightning strikes or other phenomenon. It became a little thing). For you who wondered what this actually was, now you have the answer.

As this is fixed I was finally able to re-enable the games blooming logic as part of the post processing effects.

This can make it possible to further down the line make an option to toggle off the Lens Flare, and instead render a bloomed sun. I will at a later update make it possible to toggle off the Bloom Effect in the post processing layer.

In addition, I made some improvements to the Earth and Cloud brightness settings and coloring to try and reduce the brightness of Earth, and the occasional but rather blinding areas where if over a desert with clouds below you, could be quite annoying. I will continue to iterate but I hope this reduces the issue.

Astronaut/Crew Hider

The astronaut hider responsible to hide the astronaut if your camera is near or inside its head had an issue that I though was corrected in the previous update. It was not, and I rewrote the logic. It should now work as intended.




New Launch Vehicle Plumes for Mercury and Gemini

I am continuing my pursuit of improving the plumes in the Mercury and Gemini ascent. These are quite simple but will adjust itself as the rocket climbs. You can see that the plume isn't static. Its size and shape is dynamic and will look different at lower altitudes compared to higher altitudes.




P01 Timescale block

Players trying to time scale through the P01 alignment in the Apollo Command Module before liftoff might have noticed that it can cause the alignment to fail. I have made a quick check to disable time scaling during P01 alignment.




Mercury Cockpit Improvements and Rendering

As I was fixing some issues with rendering and lighting conditions in the cockpits, along with re-enabling bloom, and decided to take a few hours to improve some of the elements inside the Mercury cockpit. This is the oldest craft, but the first step for most new players. When you enter the cockpit you will see new and improved cockpit indicator lights, fixes to a few gauges, updates to the Earth Path Indicator (EPI) model, and general fixes to various interactable components. I have also fixed an issue with the SSAO layer that could cause barely visible dark lines (artifacts).




Dynamic Cabin Audio

I continued to iterate on cabin audio in Project Mercury. I replaced the cabin depressurize and repressurize placeholder sound effects with new ones, and improved their logic. I also worked on the EPI and added its ticking noise. This is a test of the 3D cockpit sound effect.


Unity Security Update

A Unity security patch has been applied to the games executable to accommodate a security issue in the Unity Game Engine.


End-of-Early-Access Price Adjustment

As the game prepares to leave Early Access and launch version 1.0, the price is adjusted as mentioned in the Early Access interview on the games Steam Store page.

To accommodate Steam schedules, sale cooldowns and release logistics in November 2025, the price will be increased as soon as Steam publishes the new prices. The price of 34.99 USD is the final price for 1.0.

The journey doesn?t stop at 1.0 - it?s just the start of the next chapter. You can hear about the journey and the 1.0 release here, followed by the recording of my Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) I held October 1st.




The Ask-Me-Anything:
https://www.youtube.com/live/MvVKT1y_CUM


Patch notes:

  - Fixed the Earth Rendering sun reflection blob on the oceans

  - Fixed the root cause of the Atmospheric Flashes issue, it was caused by a Nan in two of the atmosphere shaders.

  - Astronaut Hider fixes

  - Improved Mercury Redstone Launch vehicle plume

  - Improved Mercury Atlas Launch vehicle plumes

  - Improved Gemini Titan Launch vehicle plumes

  - P01 timescale block

  - Mercury ASCS roll overshooting issue

  - Minor changes to CM lesson 9, Earth Entry

  - Fixed an issue with the RCS Rate Command logic in both Mercury and Gemini

  - Small updates to the Mercury EPI

  - Small updates to the Mercury Cockpit light indicators

  - Fixes and improvements to the Graphics Rendering logic

  - Fixes to the Earth brightness and tone

  - Fixes to the Clouds renderer, and re-coloring

  - Unity Security Patch

Update: Another build was released due to some meta changes, version is still the same.