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NASA Gallery

Explore NASA's vast collection of space images, videos, and audio from missions past and present.

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NASA's Image and Video Library: A Visual Archive of Space Exploration

NASA's Image and Video Library is one of the most comprehensive public archives of space imagery in the world, containing over 140,000 images, videos, and audio recordings spanning more than six decades of space exploration. From the earliest Mercury and Gemini missions through the Apollo Moon landings, the Space Shuttle era, and today's cutting-edge observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, this collection documents humanity's journey into the cosmos.

The library includes imagery from diverse sources: telescopes like Hubble and Webb that capture deep-space nebulae, galaxies, and exoplanets; planetary missions like the Mars rovers ( browse Mars photos) and Cassini at Saturn; Earth observation satellites ( see EPIC imagery); astronaut photography from the ISS; and documentation of rocket launches, spacecraft assembly, and ground testing. Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to download at full resolution for educational, editorial, and personal use.

Use the search bar above to find specific subjects — try queries like "Apollo 11," "Hubble Deep Field," "Mars surface," or "astronaut EVA." You can also filter by media type (image, video, or audio). For a daily curated experience, visit the Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Showing results for "B-52 air launch"

118 results found - Page 1 of 5

NASA image: NASA's B-52 mother ship carries the X-43A and its booster rocket on a captive carry flight Jan. 26, 2004
Image
Jan 26, 2004

NASA's B-52 mother ship carries the X-43A and its booster rocket on a captive carry flight Jan. 26, 2004

NASA's historic B-52 mother ship carried the X-43A and its Pegasus booster rocket on a captive carry flight from...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's B-52 mother ship carries the X-43A and its booster rocket on a captive carry flight Jan. 26, 2004
Image
Jan 26, 2004

NASA's B-52 mother ship carries the X-43A and its booster rocket on a captive carry flight Jan. 26, 2004

NASA's historic B-52 mother ship carried the X-43A and its Pegasus booster rocket on a captive carry flight from...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's B-52 mother ship carries the X-43A and its booster rocket on a captive carry flight Jan. 26, 2004
Image
Jan 26, 2004

NASA's B-52 mother ship carries the X-43A and its booster rocket on a captive carry flight Jan. 26, 2004

NASA's historic B-52 mother ship carried the X-43A and its Pegasus booster rocket on a captive carry flight from...

AFRC
NASA image: Hitching a ride on NASA's B-52 mother ship, the X-43A scramjet performed a captive carry evaluation flight from Edwards Air Force Base, California, January 26, 2004
Image
Jan 26, 2004

Hitching a ride on NASA's B-52 mother ship, the X-43A scramjet performed a captive carry evaluation flight from Edwards Air Force Base, California, January 26, 2004

Hitching a ride on the same B-52 mother ship that once launched X-15 research aircraft in the 1960s, NASA's X-43A...

AFRC
NASA image: Hitching a ride on NASA's B-52 mother ship, the X-43A scramjet performed a captive carry evaluation flight from Edwards Air Force Base, California, January 26, 2004
Image
Jan 26, 2004

Hitching a ride on NASA's B-52 mother ship, the X-43A scramjet performed a captive carry evaluation flight from Edwards Air Force Base, California, January 26, 2004

Hitching a ride on the same B-52 mother ship that once launched X-15 research aircraft in the 1960s, NASA's X-43A...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004
Image
Mar 27, 2004

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004

The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket left the runway, carried aloft...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004
Image
Mar 27, 2004

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004

The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket left the runway, carried aloft...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004
Image
Mar 27, 2004

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004

The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket left the runway, carried aloft...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the third X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on November 16, 2004
Image
Nov 16, 2004

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the third X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on November 16, 2004

The third X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket left the runway, carried aloft...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the third X-43A hypersonic research vehicle on a captive carry evaluation flight September 27, 2004
Image
Sep 27, 2004

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the third X-43A hypersonic research vehicle on a captive carry evaluation flight September 27, 2004

Attached to the same B-52B mothership that once launched X-15 research aircraft in the 1960s, NASA's third X-43A...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the third X-43A hypersonic research vehicle on a captive carry evaluation flight September 27, 2004
Image
Sep 27, 2004

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the third X-43A hypersonic research vehicle on a captive carry evaluation flight September 27, 2004

Attached to the same B-52B mothership that once launched X-15 research aircraft in the 1960s, NASA's third X-43A...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's B-52B launch aircraft cruises to a test range over the Pacific Ocean carrying the third X-43A vehicle attached to a Pegasus rocket on November 16, 2004
Image
Nov 16, 2004

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft cruises to a test range over the Pacific Ocean carrying the third X-43A vehicle attached to a Pegasus rocket on November 16, 2004

The third X-43A hypersonic research aircraft, attached to a modified Pegasus booster rocket, was taken to launch...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004
Image
Mar 27, 2004

NASA's B-52B launch aircraft takes off carrying the second X-43A hypersonic research vehicle attached to a modified Pegasus rocket, on March 27, 2004

The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket left the runway, carried aloft...

AFRC
NASA image: KSC-04-S-00402
Video
Dec 21, 2004

KSC-04-S-00402

NASA retired its esteemed B-52B heavy-lift aircraft after nearly half a century of consistent service. The B-52B's...

KSC
NASA image: Pegasus Mated to B-52 Mothership - First Flight
Image
Nov 9, 1989

Pegasus Mated to B-52 Mothership - First Flight

The Pegasus air-launched space booster is carried aloft under the right wing of NASA's B-52 carrier aircraft on its...

AFRC
NASA image: North American X-15 model tested in 300MPH Low Speed 7x10 Tunnel
Image
Sep 7, 1958

North American X-15 model tested in 300MPH Low Speed 7x10 Tunnel

A one-twentieth scale model of the X-15 originally suspended beneath the wing of a B-52 is observed by a scientist...

LRC
NASA image: North American X-15 model tested in 300MPH Low Speed 7x10 Tunnel
Image
Sep 7, 1958

North American X-15 model tested in 300MPH Low Speed 7x10 Tunnel

A one-twentieth scale model of the X-15 originally suspended beneath the wing of a B-52 is observed by a scientist...

LRC
NASA image: NASA Dryden test pilot Michael J. Adams
Image
Mar 22, 1967

NASA Dryden test pilot Michael J. Adams

Air Force test pilot Maj. Michael J. Adams stands beside X-15 ship number one. Adams was selected for the X-15...

AFRC
NASA image: Stan Butchart climbing into B-47
Image
Jul 14, 1954

Stan Butchart climbing into B-47

From December 10, 1966, until his retirement on February 27, 1976, Stanley P. Butchart served as Chief (later,...

AFRC
NASA image: KSC-2009-1886
Image
Feb 26, 2009

KSC-2009-1886

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the first half of the...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-2009-1885
Image
Feb 26, 2009

KSC-2009-1885

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA's Kepler spacecraft,...

KSC
NASA image: E-21093
Image
Dec 18, 1969

E-21093

The wingless, lifting body aircraft sitting on Rogers Dry Lake at what is now NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center,...

AFRC
NASA image: EC69-2358
Image
Dec 18, 1969

EC69-2358

The wingless, lifting body aircraft sitting on Rogers Dry Lake at what is now NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center,...

AFRC
NASA image: E-21115
Image
Dec 18, 1969

E-21115

The wingless, lifting body aircraft sitting on Rogers Dry Lake at what is now NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center,...

AFRC
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Frequently Asked Questions About NASA Images

Are NASA images free to use?+
Yes, most NASA images are in the public domain and are free to use for educational, informational, and personal purposes. NASA's media usage guidelines state that NASA material is not copyrighted unless otherwise noted. However, the NASA logo and certain insignia are protected. Some images may include identifiable individuals or third-party content that requires additional permissions. Always check the specific image's usage rights and credit NASA as the source.
How many images does NASA have?+
NASA's Image and Video Library contains over 140,000 publicly accessible images, videos, and audio files spanning the agency's entire history, from the Mercury program of the 1960s to the latest James Webb Space Telescope discoveries. The collection grows daily as new missions capture imagery and archival materials are digitized. Individual mission archives, such as Mars rover photos, contain hundreds of thousands of additional images.
Can I download NASA images?+
Yes, you can download NASA images in multiple resolutions directly from this gallery. Each image detail page provides download links for original (full resolution), large (1920px), medium (960px), small (480px), and thumbnail sizes. NASA encourages the public to use these images for education, media, and personal projects. High-resolution originals are ideal for printing and professional use.

Explore More NASA Content

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