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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.

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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 "Close approach"

472 results found - Page 17 of 20

NASA image: Project LOLA or Lunar Orbit and Landing Approach was a simulator built at Langley
Image
Jul 23, 1961

Project LOLA or Lunar Orbit and Landing Approach was a simulator built at Langley

Test subject sitting at the controls: Project LOLA or Lunar Orbit and Landing Approach was a simulator built at...

LRC
NASA image: A Tale of Two Comets: ISON
Image
Dec 8, 2017

A Tale of Two Comets: ISON

Release Date: November 25, 2013 MESSENGER image of comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) during its closest approach to Mercury. At...

GSFC
NASA image: Radar Movie of Asteroid 2011 UW158
Image
Jul 23, 2015

Radar Movie of Asteroid 2011 UW158

Scientists using two giant, Earth-based radio telescopes bounced radar signals off passing asteroid 2011 UW158 to...

JPL
NASA image: Comet ISON Approaching the Sun [still]
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Comet ISON Approaching the Sun [still]

This movie from NASA’s STEREO spacecraft's Heliospheric Imager shows Comet ISON, Mercury, Comet Encke and Earth over...

GSFC
NASA image: Comet ISON Approaching the Sun [hd video]
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Comet ISON Approaching the Sun [hd video]

This movie from NASA’s STEREO spacecraft's Heliospheric Imager shows Comet ISON, Mercury, Comet Encke and Earth over...

GSFC
NASA image: What is a Sungrazing Comet? [hd video]
Image
Dec 8, 2017

What is a Sungrazing Comet? [hd video]

Sungrazing comets are a special class of comets that come very close to the sun at their nearest approach, a point...

GSFC
NASA image: First Ever High Resolution View of Pluto's Surface
Image
Dec 8, 2017

First Ever High Resolution View of Pluto's Surface

New close-up images of a region near Pluto’s equator reveal a giant surprise: a range of youthful mountains rising...

GSFC
NASA image: E56-2607
Image
Oct 8, 1956

E56-2607

Famed astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 space mission...

AFRC
NASA image: Project LOLA or Lunar Orbit and Landing Approach
Image
Nov 12, 1964

Project LOLA or Lunar Orbit and Landing Approach

Artists used paintbrushes and airbrushes to recreate the lunar surface on each of the four models comprising the...

LRC
NASA image: Saturn Apollo Program
Image
Jul 28, 1967

Saturn Apollo Program

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) played a crucial role in the development of the huge Saturn rockets that...

MSFC
NASA image: Perseverance and SHERLOC's Calibration Target
Image
Mar 26, 2025

Perseverance and SHERLOC's Calibration Target

At left is NASA's Perseverance Mars rover. The annotation shows where spacesuit materials can be found attached to a...

JPL
NASA image: Charles P. Conrad, Jr. and John Young in Visual Docking Simulator
Image
Nov 14, 1963

Charles P. Conrad, Jr. and John Young in Visual Docking Simulator

Astronaut Charles Conrad at the controls of the Visual Docking Simulator. From A.W. Vogeley, "Piloted Space-Flight...

LRC
NASA image: Mapping Perseverance's First Six Samples
Image
Dec 28, 2021

Mapping Perseverance's First Six Samples

This annotated map shows the locations where NASA's Perseverance Mars rover collected its first witness tube and...

JPL
NASA image: Saturn Apollo Program
Image
Jul 28, 1967

Saturn Apollo Program

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) played a crucial role in the development of the huge Saturn rockets that...

MSFC
NASA image: Around Marshall
Image
Jul 28, 1967

Around Marshall

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) played a crucial role in the development of the huge Saturn rockets that...

MSFC
NASA image: Astronauts Visit to Moon Simulator
Image
Sep 30, 1963

Astronauts Visit to Moon Simulator

Walter (Wally) M. Schirra in Visual Docking Simulator From A.W. Vogeley, "Piloted Space-Flight Simulation at Langley...

LRC
NASA image: Charles P. Conrad, Jr. and John W. Young at Visual Docking Simulator
Image
Nov 12, 1963

Charles P. Conrad, Jr. and John W. Young at Visual Docking Simulator

Astronauts Charles Conrad (left) and John W. Young (right) at the controls of the Visual Docking Simulator. From...

LRC
NASA image: Daphnis Up Close
Image
Jan 18, 2017

Daphnis Up Close

The wavemaker moon, Daphnis, is featured in this view, taken as NASA's Cassini spacecraft made one of its...

JPL
NASA image: Jet Shoe Experiment on Air Bearing Facility
Image
Nov 16, 2010

Jet Shoe Experiment on Air Bearing Facility

Test subject wearing jet-shoe apparatus and resting in sling support. The cables are not attached. From A.W....

LRC
NASA image: SuperCam Close-Up of Yeehgo Target
Image
Mar 10, 2021

SuperCam Close-Up of Yeehgo Target

Combining two images, this mosaic shows a close-up view of the rock target named "Yeehgo" from the SuperCam...

JPL
NASA image: Perseverance Sample Caching System Doors
Image
Mar 23, 2021

Perseverance Sample Caching System Doors

These sets of images were taken between March 13 and 15, 2021 (the 22nd and 24th Martian days, or sols, of NASA's...

JPL
NASA image: Closing in on Phoebe
Image
Jun 9, 2004

Closing in on Phoebe

The Cassini spacecraft is closing in fast on its first target of observation in the Saturn system: the small,...

JPL
NASA image: LOLA Project Artists
Image
Aug 10, 1965

LOLA Project Artists

Artists used paintbrushes and airbrushes to recreate the lunar surface on each of the four models comprising the...

LRC
NASA image: n/a
Image
Jul 28, 1967

n/a

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) played a crucial role in the development of the huge Saturn rockets that...

MSFC
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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

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