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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 "apollo samples"

269 results found - Page 1 of 12

NASA image: NASA Scientists Open One of the Last Sealed Apollo 17 Moon Samples
Video
Apr 18, 2022

NASA Scientists Open One of the Last Sealed Apollo 17 Moon Samples

Over the past few years, a few unopened Apollo-era lunar samples collected during Apollo 17 have been opened by a...

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NASA image: View of Apollo 17 lunar rock sample no. 72415,0
Image
Jan 18, 1972

View of Apollo 17 lunar rock sample no. 72415,0

S73-16199 (December 1972) --- A close-up view of Apollo 17 lunar sample number 72415,0 which was brought back from...

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NASA image: View of Apollo 17 lunar rock sample no. 72415,0
Image
Jan 18, 1972

View of Apollo 17 lunar rock sample no. 72415,0

S73-16198 (December 1972) --- A close-up view of Apollo 17 lunar sample number 72415,0 which was brought back from...

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NASA image: View of Apollo 16 lunar sample no. 68815
Image
Apr 30, 1972

View of Apollo 16 lunar sample no. 68815

A closeup view or "mug shot" of Apollo 16 lunar sample no. 68815, a dislodged fragment from a parent boulder roughly...

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NASA image: View - Apollo 14 Sample No. 14414,2 - MSC
Image
Feb 12, 1971

View - Apollo 14 Sample No. 14414,2 - MSC

S71-19269 (12 Feb. 1971) --- A close-up view of Apollo 14 sample number 14414 & 14412, a fine lunar powder-like...

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NASA image: Technicians work with Apollo 14 lunar sample material in Lunar Receiving Lab.
Image
Feb 18, 1971

Technicians work with Apollo 14 lunar sample material in Lunar Receiving Lab.

S71-19489 (18 Feb. 1971) --- Glove handlers work with freshly opened Apollo 14 lunar sample material in modularized...

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NASA image: View of Apollo 17 lunar rock sample no. 72255
Image
Jan 18, 1972

View of Apollo 17 lunar rock sample no. 72255

S73-16007 (December 1972) --- A "mug shot" of Apollo 17 lunar sample no. 72255 which was brought back from the lunar...

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NASA image: Astronauts Scott and Irwin join geologists in looking at Apollo 15 samples
Image
Aug 9, 1971

Astronauts Scott and Irwin join geologists in looking at Apollo 15 samples

S71-43203 (9 Aug. 1971) --- Astronauts David R. Scott, left foreground, and James B. Irwin, right foreground, join...

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NASA image: Apollo 16 astronauts take lunar soil sample from Station no.9 during EVA
Image
Apr 22, 1971

Apollo 16 astronauts take lunar soil sample from Station no.9 during EVA

AS16-107-17561 (16-27 April 1972) --- One of the Apollo 16 astronauts scoops up lunar soil at the base of a small...

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NASA image: Lunar Samples - Apollo 17
Image
Dec 27, 1972

Lunar Samples - Apollo 17

S72-56362 (27 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt (facing camera), Apollo 17 lunar module...

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NASA image: Lunar Samples - Apollo XII (Thin Sections)
Image
Jan 12, 1970

Lunar Samples - Apollo XII (Thin Sections)

Microscopic views of Apollo XII Lunar rock sample thin sections, with and without polarized light. 1. Lunar Sample -...

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NASA image: Lunar Samples - Apollo 12
Image
Dec 2, 1969

Lunar Samples - Apollo 12

S69-60580 (November 1969) --- Close-up view of Apollo 12 sample 12,065 under observation in the Manned Spacecraft...

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NASA image: LUNAR SAMPLE - APOLLO XVI - MSC
Image
May 19, 1972

LUNAR SAMPLE - APOLLO XVI - MSC

S72-38465 (19 May 1972) --- In an isolated area of the Manned Spacecraft Center's Lunar Receiving Laboratory,...

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NASA image: LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO XVI - JSC
Image
Mar 18, 1975

LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO XVI - JSC

S75-23543 (April 1972) --- This Apollo 16 lunar sample (moon rock) was collected by astronaut John W. Young,...

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NASA image: LUNAR SAMPLE - APOLLO XVI - MSC
Image
May 19, 1972

LUNAR SAMPLE - APOLLO XVI - MSC

S72-38463 (19 May 1972) --- In an isolated area of the Manned Spacecraft Center's Lunar Receiving Laboratory,...

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NASA image: LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO 17 - #7605500
Image
Jan 1, 1973

LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO 17 - #7605500

S73-15713 (January 1973) --- A close-up view of Apollo 17 lunar rock sample No. 76055 being studied and analyzed in...

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NASA image: LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO XI
Image
Jul 27, 1969

LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO XI

S69-45002 (26 July 1969) --- A close-up view of the lunar rocks contained in the first Apollo 11 sample return...

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NASA image: Lunar Samples - Apollo 12
Image
Nov 26, 1969

Lunar Samples - Apollo 12

S69-60294 (26 Nov. 1969) --- One of the first views of the Apollo 12 lunar rocks is this photograph of the open...

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NASA image: Astronaut Alan Bean drives core sample tube into lunar surface
Image
Nov 20, 1969

Astronaut Alan Bean drives core sample tube into lunar surface

AS12-49-7286 (20 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, drives a core sample tube into the lunar...

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NASA image: Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collects lunar rake samples during EVA
Image
Dec 11, 1972

Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collects lunar rake samples during EVA

AS17-134-20425 (11 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, collects lunar rake...

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NASA image: Lunar Samples - Apollo 12
Image
Nov 28, 1969

Lunar Samples - Apollo 12

S69-60354 (29 Nov. 1969) --- A scientist's gloved hand holds one of the numerous rock samples brought back to Earth...

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NASA image: Apollo 11 lunar sample
Image
Jun 24, 2009

Apollo 11 lunar sample

ISS020-E-014193 (FOR RELEASE 21 JULY 2009) --- A moon rock brought to Earth by Apollo 11, humans? first landing on...

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NASA image: Apollo 11 lunar sample
Image
Jun 24, 2009

Apollo 11 lunar sample

ISS020-E-14196 (FOR RELEASE 21 JULY 2009) --- A moon rock brought to Earth by Apollo 11, humans? first landing on...

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NASA image: Apollo 11 lunar sample
Image
Jun 24, 2009

Apollo 11 lunar sample

ISS020-E-14200 (FOR RELEASE 21 JULY 2009) --- A moon rock brought to Earth by Apollo 11, humans? first landing on...

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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.

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