In this tutorial I'll show you how to create a space scene in After Effects using Element 3D. I'll use a few free assets found online and some files in the project file you can download and follow along with this tutorial.

One of the free resources is the NASA Space Image Index where you'll find lot of space images that are available via creative commons. I'll be using a free Neon Flames Tool that enables the creation of nebula images to download and use in a project. 

Although it is not required for the tutorial, I'll show you to accent the space scene using the plug-ins Trapcode Shine and Optical Flares.