CosmosObservatory
Explore
Solar System
Live
Learn
Tools
About
Cosmos Observatory
ToolsAbout
Cosmos Observatory

Explore the universe through NASA data, real-time ISS tracking, Mars rover imagery, asteroid monitoring, and comprehensive space encyclopedia. Your gateway to the cosmos.

Explore

  • APOD
  • Mars Rovers
  • Earth Imagery
  • NASA Gallery
  • ISS Tracker

Data

  • Asteroids
  • Solar System
  • Exoplanets
  • Space Weather
  • Launches

Tools

  • Glossary
  • News
  • Calculators

Legal

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Space Tools
  • Contact

Stay updated with the cosmos

Get weekly digests of APOD highlights, upcoming launches, and space events.

© 2026 Cosmos Observatory. All rights reserved. Built with for space enthusiasts.

This website is not affiliated with, maintained, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with NASA or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. All NASA imagery is in the public domain unless otherwise noted. Data sourced from NASA Open APIs, Launch Library 2, and other open data services.

NASA Gallery

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

  1. Home
  2. /
  3. NASA Gallery

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 "scientific sampling missions"

155 results found - Page 1 of 7

NASA image: Postflight - Apollo XII - MSC
Image
Nov 29, 1969

Postflight - Apollo XII - MSC

S69-60424 (29 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, holds...

JSC
NASA image: Testing a Lander Touchdown
Image
Dec 13, 2021

Testing a Lander Touchdown

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory dropped this prototype to learn how a future Sample Return Lander...

JPL
NASA image: Mars Earth Entry System Aeroshell at Entry (Illustration)
Image
Oct 12, 2022

Mars Earth Entry System Aeroshell at Entry (Illustration)

This illustration depicts the Mars Earth Entry System for the Mars Sample Return campaign. The system would contain...

JPL
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,...

JSC
NASA image: KSC-04-S-00284
Video
Aug 4, 2004

KSC-04-S-00284

NASA's Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility is home to the most cherished -- and scientifically important -- relics of...

KSC
NASA image: Fetch Rover Approaching Sample Tubes (Artist's Concept)
Image
Feb 10, 2020

Fetch Rover Approaching Sample Tubes (Artist's Concept)

This illustration shows a concept of what a rover fetching rock and soil samples on Mars for return to Earth could...

JPL
NASA image: Perseus in Flight
Image
Nov 15, 1991

Perseus in Flight

The Perseus proof-of-concept vehicle in flight at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California in 1991....

AFRC
NASA image: HQ-197, Apollo 12: Pinpoint for Science
Video
Jan 1, 1969

HQ-197, Apollo 12: Pinpoint for Science

HQ-197 - 1969 - Color - 28 minutes. Emphasizing the scientific studies involved and the pinpoint accuracy of the...

KSC
NASA image: Testing a Prototype Mars Lander
Image
Aug 10, 2023

Testing a Prototype Mars Lander

Engineer Abel Dizon explains how drop tests are conducted for a prototype lander being designed by NASA's Jet...

JPL
NASA image: Art Concepts - Mars Sample (Robot)
Image
Jun 9, 1987

Art Concepts - Mars Sample (Robot)

S87-35313 (15 May 1987)--- This artist's rendering illustrates a Mars Sample Return mission under study at Jet...

JSC
NASA image: Goddard scientist Jennifer Eigenbrode
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Goddard scientist Jennifer Eigenbrode

On Saturday, November 26, NASA is scheduled to launch the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission featuring Curiosity,...

GSFC
NASA image: Saturn Apollo Program
Image
Aug 1, 1971

Saturn Apollo Program

This photograph of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was taken during the Apollo 15 mission. Powered by battery, the...

MSFC
NASA image: ICESCAPE Mission
Image
Jul 3, 2010

ICESCAPE Mission

The terrain for the scientific work conducted by ICESCAPE scientists on July 4, 2010, is Arctic sea ice and melt...

HQ
NASA image: STS-42 Mission Specialist (MS) Hilmers reviews checklist in IML-1 module
Image
Jan 30, 1992

STS-42 Mission Specialist (MS) Hilmers reviews checklist in IML-1 module

STS042-17-001 (22 Jan 1992) --- Astronaut David C. Hilmers, mission specialist, looks over a checklist at the...

JSC
NASA image: Microgravity
Image
Dec 1, 1998

Microgravity

The Magnetically Damped Furnace (MDF) breadboard is being developed in response to NASA's mission and goals to...

MSFC
NASA image: Preparing for Planetary Protection Analysis
Image
Sep 9, 2024

Preparing for Planetary Protection Analysis

A planetary protection engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory prepares samples for analysis on March 20, 2024....

JPL
NASA image: KSC-05pd-1020
Image
May 18, 2005

KSC-05pd-1020

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, technicians position the the Minus Eighty...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-05pd-1024
Image
May 18, 2005

KSC-05pd-1024

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, technicians install the the Minus Eighty...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-05pd-1022
Image
May 18, 2005

KSC-05pd-1022

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, technicians prepare to install the the Minus...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-05pd-1023
Image
May 18, 2005

KSC-05pd-1023

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, a technician prepares to install the the...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-05pd-1021
Image
May 18, 2005

KSC-05pd-1021

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer...

KSC
NASA image: Perseus B on lakebed before first flight
Image
Oct 7, 1994

Perseus B on lakebed before first flight

One of NASA's unmanned, remotely controlled aircraft, the Perseus B, is seen here before its first flight at the...

AFRC
NASA image: Spacelab
Image
Jun 1, 1992

Spacelab

The first United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) was one of NASA's science and technology programs that...

MSFC
NASA image: KSC-2013-2765
Image
Jun 17, 2013

KSC-2013-2765

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the...

KSC
PreviousPage 1 of 7Next

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

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Daily curated space image

Mars Rover Photos

Curiosity & Perseverance images

Earth from Space

DSCOVR EPIC daily images

Launch Schedule

Upcoming rocket launches

Space News

Mission updates & discoveries