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 "Plant 42"

89 results found - Page 2 of 4

NASA image: DC-8 Lift Off
Image
Jan 7, 2021

DC-8 Lift Off

DC-8 lifts off from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif.

AFRC
NASA image: DC-8 Sunset Lift Off
Image
Jan 7, 2021

DC-8 Sunset Lift Off

DC-8 lifts off from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., at sunset.

AFRC
NASA image: DC-8 Lift Off
Image
Jan 7, 2021

DC-8 Lift Off

DC-8 lifts off from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif.

AFRC
NASA image: SOFIA Sunset Lift Off
Image
Jul 14, 2011

SOFIA Sunset Lift Off

SOFIA lifts off from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., at sunset.

AFRC
NASA image: Confined Space Exercise Improves Response
Image
Oct 10, 2019

Confined Space Exercise Improves Response

Air Force Plant 42 Fire Department responder Alfonzo Ortega, bottom, hands Doug Mendez a gas meter to test the air...

AFRC
NASA image: Confined Space Exercise Improves Response
Image
Oct 10, 2019

Confined Space Exercise Improves Response

Air Force Plant 42 Fire Department responders Doug Mendez and Alfonzo Ortega test the air in a confined space with a...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory touches down at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, CA, as it arrives at its new home, the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility
Image
Jan 15, 2008

NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory touches down at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, CA, as it arrives at its new home, the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility

NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory touches down at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., as it arrives at its new...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA Uses F-15D to Validate X-59’s Electromagnetic Interference Testing
Image
Feb 11, 2025

NASA Uses F-15D to Validate X-59’s Electromagnetic Interference Testing

NASA’s F-15D research aircraft is positioned behind the X-59 during electromagnetic compatibility testing at U.S....

AFRC
NASA image: Confined Space Exercise Improves Response
Image
Oct 10, 2019

Confined Space Exercise Improves Response

U.S. Air Force Plant 42 Fire Department responders carry out the mannequin to an emergency vehicle during an...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory lifts off the runway at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., on its first flight in the ARCTAS atmospheric science mission
Image
Apr 1, 2008

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory lifts off the runway at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., on its first flight in the ARCTAS atmospheric science mission

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory lifts off the runway at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., on its first flight in...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA’s DC-8 Returns from Final Mission
Image
Apr 1, 2024

NASA’s DC-8 Returns from Final Mission

The DC-8 aircraft returned to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Building 703 in Palmdale, California, on April...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA’s DC-8 Returns from Final Mission
Image
Apr 1, 2024

NASA’s DC-8 Returns from Final Mission

The DC-8 aircraft returned to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Building 703 in Palmdale, California, on April...

AFRC
NASA image: Hydrazine Dry Run
Image
Feb 7, 2022

Hydrazine Dry Run

Maintainers perform a hydrazine safety check on NASA’s quiet supersonic X-59 aircraft at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in...

AFRC
NASA image: Hydrazine Test
Image
Feb 7, 2022

Hydrazine Test

Maintainers perform a hydrazine safety check on the agency’s quiet supersonic X-59 aircraft at U.S. Air Force Plant...

AFRC
NASA image: Hydrazine Test
Image
Feb 7, 2022

Hydrazine Test

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is seen at dawn with firetrucks and safety personnel nearby during a...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA’s X-59 Begins Taxi Tests
Image
Jul 10, 2025

NASA’s X-59 Begins Taxi Tests

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft taxis across the runway during a low-speed taxi test at U.S. Air...

AFRC
NASA image: STS-68 747 SCA Ferry Flight Takeoff for Delivery to Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Image
Oct 19, 1994

STS-68 747 SCA Ferry Flight Takeoff for Delivery to Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The Space Shuttle Endeavour, atop NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), taking off for the Kennedy Space Center...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's Super Guppy Arrives to Armstrong Building 703 for Maintenance
Image
Apr 1, 2019

NASA's Super Guppy Arrives to Armstrong Building 703 for Maintenance

NASA's Super Guppy cargo transport aircraft coming in for landing at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California on April 1, 2019.

AFRC
NASA image: NASA’s X-59 Begins Taxi Tests
Image
Jul 10, 2025

NASA’s X-59 Begins Taxi Tests

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft taxis across the runway during a low-speed taxi test at U.S. Air...

AFRC
NASA image: Shuttle Endeavour Mated to 747 SCA Taxi to Runway for Delivery to Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Image
May 2, 1991

Shuttle Endeavour Mated to 747 SCA Taxi to Runway for Delivery to Kennedy Space Center, Florida

NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft No. 911, with the space shuttle orbiter Endeavour securely mounted atop its...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA’s X-59 Lifts Off for First Flight
Image
Oct 28, 2025

NASA’s X-59 Lifts Off for First Flight

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft lifts off for its first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, from U.S. Air...

AFRC
NASA image: This photo shows a head-on view of NASA's SR-71B on the ramp at the Air Force's Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, shortly before delivery to DFRC
Image
Jul 24, 1991

This photo shows a head-on view of NASA's SR-71B on the ramp at the Air Force's Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, shortly before delivery to DFRC

This photo shows a head-on view of NASA's SR-71B, used for pilot proficiency and training, on the ramp at the Air...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA’s X-59 Lifts Off for First Flight
Image
Oct 28, 2025

NASA’s X-59 Lifts Off for First Flight

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft lifts off for its first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, from U.S. Air...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA's Super Guppy Arrives to Armstrong Building 703 for Maintenance
Image
Apr 1, 2019

NASA's Super Guppy Arrives to Armstrong Building 703 for Maintenance

NASA's Super Guppy cargo transport aircraft taxis in from the Plant 42 runway to NASA"s Armstrong Flight Research...

AFRC
PreviousPage 2 of 4Next

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