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To win Civilization 3's space race you build the Apollo Program Small Wonder, then all 10 spaceship parts in your cities, and the first civilization to launch a finished ship wins at once. The parts need Space Flight, Satellites, Superconductor, Synthetic Fibers and The Laser, plus Aluminum, Rubber and Uranium.
A Civilization 3 space race victory needs the Apollo Program, a Small Wonder every civilization must build for itself, and then the 10 parts of a spaceship built in your cities; the first civilization to launch a finished ship to Alpha Centauri wins the game, per the Complete manual (pp. 172-174). Unlike earlier Civilization games, the ship does not have to arrive: "If you complete and launch the ship before any of the other civilizations, you immediately win!", says Prima's Official Strategy Guide (p. 183). It is one of the six ways to win (see Victory Conditions).
Quick facts
| First step | Build the Apollo Program (Small Wonder, 400 shields, Space Flight, Aluminum) |
| Parts | 10, one of each |
| Advances needed | Space Flight, Satellites, Superconductor, Synthetic Fibers, The Laser |
| Resources needed | Aluminum, Rubber, Uranium |
| Total cost of the parts | 2,240 shields (base game figures) |
| Ships at a time | One per civilization |
| Capital captured | The ship under construction is destroyed |
| Winning | Launch first; the ship need not arrive |
| Spaceship screen | F10 |
Source: Prima's Official Strategy Guide, pp. 121-122, 134, 136, 182-183; Civilization III Complete manual, pp. 131, 172-174.
The Apollo Program
No civilization can build spaceship parts "until it has completed the necessary Small Wonder: the Apollo Program", even with the advances in hand, per the Complete manual (p. 172). Prima's guide (p. 134) lists it at 400 shields and 3 culture a turn, needing Space Flight and Aluminum.
Apollo is a Small Wonder, so a rival's does not help you. Earlier Civilization games let you wait for an opponent to build the Apollo Program and share its benefit; Prima calls that tactic "no longer a valid strategy" now that it has been "demoted" to a Small Wonder: "To join the space race, you must build the Apollo Program yourself" (p. 136). It also "no longer reveals the entire world map" (p. 137). The other Small Wonders are on Small Wonders, the Great Wonders on Wonders.
The spaceship parts
The spaceship is "constructed of 10 parts, or components", each unlocked by an advance and built like a city improvement, per the Complete manual (p. 174). You need one of each, and finished parts go to the launch site automatically. The table gives each part's advance, resources and cost from Prima's guide (pp. 82-86 and 121-122).
| Part | Advance | Resources | Cost (shields) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SS Cockpit | Space Flight | Aluminum | 160 |
| SS Docking Bay | Space Flight | Aluminum | 160 |
| SS Engine | Space Flight | Aluminum | 320 |
| SS Thrusters | Satellites | Aluminum | 160 |
| SS Fuel Cells | Superconductor | Uranium | 160 |
| SS Life Support System | Superconductor | Aluminum | 320 |
| SS Exterior Casing | Synthetic Fibers | Aluminum, Rubber | 320 |
| SS Stasis Chamber | Synthetic Fibers | Aluminum | 320 |
| SS Storage/Supply | Synthetic Fibers | Aluminum | 160 |
| SS Planetary Party Lounge | The Laser | Aluminum | 160 |
Source: Prima's Official Strategy Guide, pp. 82-86 (Table 6-2) and 121-122 (Table 7-1). Prima wrote for the 2001 game; no source read for this page gives the costs in Conquests.
The parts add up to 2,240 shields by Prima's table, plus 400 for the Apollo Program. None of them costs upkeep. The spaceship screen (F10) shows which parts are done, which city is building each, and which advance a missing part still needs, per the 2001 manual (p. 194); in 2K's image above, the unfinished section reads "Needs The Laser".
Research path
Space Flight is the advance that starts the race. It allows the Apollo Program and three of the 10 parts, and Prima's guide (p. 111) says it "should directly follow" Rocketry in most research plans. After it you need Satellites, Superconductor, Synthetic Fibers and The Laser, and Prima advises making Space Flight "your first Modern research goal" if you play for this victory (p. 182). The Modern era tree is on Technologies.
Three strategic resources gate the parts. Every part but the Fuel Cells needs Aluminum, the Fuel Cells need Uranium, and the Exterior Casing also needs Rubber, per Prima's table (pp. 121-122). Without them you must trade or fight for them; see Resources and Trade.
Defending the capital
A civilization can build only one spaceship at a time, and losing the capital loses the ship. You may start a second ship only if the first is destroyed, which happens "if your capital city is captured while your ship is under construction (the conquerors destroy it on the launch pad)", per the Complete manual (p. 174). Prima's guide (p. 182) adds that losing any city building a part sets you back, and that if the capital falls "you have to start building the ship again from scratch".
Prima's advice
Prima's guide (p. 182) gives four pointers for a space victory:
- Play on a large world: less contact with rivals leaves more time to pull ahead in research.
- Choose a science-minded civilization: one with the Scientific trait (see Civilization Traits).
- Start the parts early: build each part as soon as it becomes available.
- Protect your cities, above all the capital.
Its suggested setup for "an all-out race to Alpha Centauri" is a Huge world of Continents with 60 percent water, a Normal climate, Temperate temperature, a 4-billion-year age and 2 to 7 opponents (p. 16).
The race can be switched off. The Game Rules' "Allow Space Race Victory" box decides whether anyone can build spaceship parts at all, per the Complete manual (p. 30).
Frequently asked questions
How do you build a spaceship in Civ 3? In Civilization 3 you first build the Apollo Program Small Wonder, then build the 10 spaceship parts in your cities as you research the advances they need; when all 10 are done you launch, per the Complete manual (pp. 172-174).
What does the Apollo Program do in Civ 3? In Civilization 3 the Apollo Program is a Small Wonder that "allows construction of spaceship parts" for the civilization that builds it, per the Complete manual (p. 131). It costs 400 shields and needs Space Flight and Aluminum, per Prima's guide, and no longer reveals the map.
How many spaceship parts are there in Civ 3? Civilization 3's spaceship has 10 parts, one of each: Cockpit, Docking Bay, Engine, Thrusters, Fuel Cells, Life Support System, Exterior Casing, Stasis Chamber, Storage/Supply and Planetary Party Lounge, per Prima's guide (pp. 121-122).
Does the spaceship have to reach Alpha Centauri in Civ 3? No: in Civilization 3 the first civilization to launch a completed ship wins immediately, per Prima's guide (p. 183). The Complete manual (p. 174) says "the civilization that wins the race to launch wins the game".
What happens if your capital is captured during the space race in Civ 3? In Civilization 3 the conquerors destroy your spaceship "on the launch pad", and you must start a new one from scratch, per the Complete manual (p. 174).
What resources do you need for the Civ 3 spaceship? Civilization 3's spaceship parts need Aluminum (all but one), Uranium for the Fuel Cells and Rubber for the Exterior Casing, per Prima's guide (pp. 121-122, 182).
Sources
- Sid Meier's Civilization III Complete manual (Steam-hosted PDF), Atari and Firaxis Games, 2005
- Civilization III manual, First Edition (archive.org copy), Infogrames and Firaxis Games, Sep 2001
- Sid Meier's Civilization III: Prima's Official Strategy Guide (David Ellis) (archive.org copy), Prima Games, 2001
- Sid Meier's Civilization III, 2K, read Oct 22, 2026
- A Civilization 3 Retrospective | Prepare For Civ 7, GamerZakh, Aug 17, 2024 (video)
Moments
A Civilization 3 Retrospective | Prepare For Civ 7
GamerZakh
Photos
Related
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Corruption and WasteIn Civilization 3, corruption takes part of a city's commerce and waste part of its shields; both rise with the city's distance from the capital and with the number of cities you own. Courthouses (half off, per Prima's guide), the Forbidden Palace, a better government and the Commercial trait reduce them, and the capital has none.
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Difficulty LevelsCivilization 3 has six difficulty levels in the 2001 game and eight with Conquests, which the Complete manual lists as Chieftain, Warlord, Prince, Monarch, Emperor, Demigod, Deity and Sid. Higher levels give each city fewer content citizens and let the AI build and research faster than you.
See also
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Victory ConditionsCivilization 3 can be won by conquest, domination (two-thirds of the world's territory), the space race, culture, a United Nations vote, or the best score when the game ends in 2050 AD. Play the World adds Elimination, Regicide, Mass Regicide, Victory Point Locations and Capture the Princess, and Conquests adds Reverse Capture the Flag.
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Small WondersSmall Wonders are national wonders that every civilization in Civilization 3 may build once, unlocked by an achievement such as eight cities or five Banks rather than by an advance alone. The base game has 10 (the Forbidden Palace, the Heroic Epic, the Military Academy and others) and Conquests adds the Secret Police Headquarters for 11.
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Resources and TradeCivilization 3 has eight strategic resources that units and buildings need (Iron, Horses, Saltpeter, Coal, Oil, Rubber, Aluminum and Uranium), eight luxuries that each make a citizen happy, and bonus resources that add food, shields or commerce. A resource counts only when your trade network reaches it by road, Harbor or Airport, and surplus can be traded to other civilizations for 20 turns at a time.
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Civilization TraitsEvery Civilization 3 civilization has two of eight traits: Commercial, Expansionist, Industrious, Militaristic, Religious and Scientific from the 2001 base game, plus Agricultural and Seafaring added by Conquests. Each makes some buildings cheaper or adds a bonus, such as a one-turn Anarchy for Religious civilizations.