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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 "laser communication"

273 results found - Page 2 of 12

NASA image: DSOC Flight Laser Transceiver Integrated with NASA's Psyche Spacecraft
Image
Apr 6, 2022

DSOC Flight Laser Transceiver Integrated with NASA's Psyche Spacecraft

The Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) technology demonstration's flight laser transceiver can be easily...

JPL
NASA image: View of the Glenn Research Center Hangar from the Cleveland Hopkins Airport Runway
Image
Jun 13, 2024

View of the Glenn Research Center Hangar from the Cleveland Hopkins Airport Runway

View of the Glenn Research Center Hangar from the Cleveland Hopkins Airport Runway during a testing flight on June...

GRC
NASA image: Aerial Photograph of Glenn Research Center With Downtown Cleveland in the Distance
Image
Jun 13, 2024

Aerial Photograph of Glenn Research Center With Downtown Cleveland in the Distance

Aerial Photograph of Glenn Research Center With Downtown Cleveland in the Distance taken from the PC-12 on June 13,...

GRC
NASA image: Pilatus PC-12 Prepped for Takeoff
Image
Jun 12, 2024

Pilatus PC-12 Prepped for Takeoff

At Glenn Research Center, the PC-12 is Prepped for a flight and ready to takeoff on June 12, 2024. A team at NASA’s...

GRC
NASA image: DSOC's Table Mountain Facility Uplink Laser – Infrared vs. Visible Light
Image
Sep 18, 2025

DSOC's Table Mountain Facility Uplink Laser – Infrared vs. Visible Light

This infrared photograph shows the uplink laser beacon for NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC)...

JPL
NASA image: Equipping the Space Station to Produce More Power on This Week @NASA – June 16, 2023
Video
Jun 16, 2023

Equipping the Space Station to Produce More Power on This Week @NASA – June 16, 2023

Equipping the space station to produce more power, our newest experimental X-plane, and preparing to test a new...

HQ
NASA image: Pilatus PC-12 Being Prepped For Takeoff
Image
Jun 12, 2024

Pilatus PC-12 Being Prepped For Takeoff

A team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland streamed 4K video footage from an aircraft to the International...

GRC
NASA image: From Taters to Terabits: NASA Wraps Up Deep Space Laser Test
Video
Sep 18, 2025

From Taters to Terabits: NASA Wraps Up Deep Space Laser Test

NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) technology demonstration has successfully concluded after two years,...

JPL
NASA image: Galileo Optical Experiment GOPEX
Image
Feb 8, 1996

Galileo Optical Experiment GOPEX

Two sets of laser pulses transmitted from Earth to a spacecraft over a distance of 1.4 million kilometers 870,000...

JPL
NASA image: Team Members Prep for Test Flight
Image
Jun 13, 2024

Team Members Prep for Test Flight

A team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland streamed 4K video footage from an aircraft to the International...

GRC
NASA image: Kurt Blankenship and James Demers Fly PC-12 Aircraft During Testing
Image
Jun 13, 2024

Kurt Blankenship and James Demers Fly PC-12 Aircraft During Testing

Kurt Blankenship and James Demers Fly PC-12 Aircraft During Testing on June 13, 2024. A team at NASA’s Glenn...

GRC
NASA image: Kennedy Countdown for Dec. 3, 2021
Video
Dec 3, 2021

Kennedy Countdown for Dec. 3, 2021

NASA’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer, or IXPE, arrived last month. Workers completed prelaunch testing and then...

KSC
NASA image: Mars Laser Communication Demonstration, Artist Concept
Image
Mar 29, 2005

Mars Laser Communication Demonstration, Artist Concept

This illustration depicts a concept for operation of an optical communications system on NASA Mars...

JPL
NASA image: jsc2022e087163
Image
Nov 16, 2022

jsc2022e087163

jsc2022e087163 (11/16/2022) --- Secure Laser Communications between International Space Station and Ground Station...

JSC
NASA image: DSOC's Downlink Detector Prototype
Image
Oct 4, 2023

DSOC's Downlink Detector Prototype

Shown here is a prototype of the Deep Space Optical Communications, or DSOC, ground receiver detector built by the...

JPL
NASA image: EQUIPMENT - GEMINI-TITAN (GT)-6
Image
Dec 7, 1965

EQUIPMENT - GEMINI-TITAN (GT)-6

S65-61777 (8 Dec. 1965) --- Close-up view of a laser transmitter unit which is being used for the Gemini-7 Optical...

JSC
NASA image: Optical Communications Transmitter
Image
Nov 10, 1965

Optical Communications Transmitter

S65-42598 (10 Nov. 1965) --- Douglas S. Idlly, Electromagnetic Systems Branch, Instrumentation and Electronic...

JSC
NASA image: ILLUMA-T Investigation Preflight Imagery
Image
Oct 19, 2023

ILLUMA-T Investigation Preflight Imagery

jsc2023e064876 (10/19/2023) --- NASA’s laser communications demonstration roadmap. ILLUMA-T demonstrates two...

JSC
NASA image: ILLUMA-T Investigation Preflight Imagery
Image
Oct 19, 2023

ILLUMA-T Investigation Preflight Imagery

jsc2023e064875 (10/19/2023) --- Artistic depiction of ILLUMA-T communicating to LCRD over laser links. ILLUMA-T...

JSC
NASA image: Psyche Launch
Image
Oct 13, 2023

Psyche Launch

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is launched from Launch Complex 39A, Friday, Oct....

HQ
NASA image: Psyche on the Launch Pad
Image
Oct 11, 2023

Psyche on the Launch Pad

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is seen at Launch Complex 39A as preparations...

HQ
NASA image: Psyche Launch
Image
Oct 13, 2023

Psyche Launch

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is launched from Launch Complex 39A, Friday, Oct....

HQ
NASA image: Psyche on the Launch Pad
Image
Oct 11, 2023

Psyche on the Launch Pad

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is seen at Launch Complex 39A as preparations...

HQ
NASA image: Psyche on the Launch Pad
Image
Oct 11, 2023

Psyche on the Launch Pad

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is seen at Launch Complex 39A as preparations...

HQ
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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

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DSCOVR EPIC daily images

Launch Schedule

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Space News

Mission updates & discoveries