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 "INFRARED INSTRUMENTS"

1,225 results found - Page 4 of 52

NASA image: KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA.  -  After dawn,  the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is lifted up the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.  SIRTF will be attached to the Delta II rocket and encapsulated in its fairing before launch.   Consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, SIRTF is one of NASA’s largest infrared telescopes to be launched.  It is the fourth and final element in NASA’s family of orbiting “Great Observatories.”  SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.
Image
Aug 10, 2003

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After dawn, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is lifted up the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SIRTF will be attached to the Delta II rocket and encapsulated in its fairing before launch. Consisting of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, SIRTF is one of NASA’s largest infrared telescopes to be launched. It is the fourth and final element in NASA’s family of orbiting “Great Observatories.” SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After dawn, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is lifted up the mobile...

KSC
NASA image: NASA ER-2 Prepares for Geological Earth Mapping Experiment Flights
Image
Mar 10, 2026

NASA ER-2 Prepares for Geological Earth Mapping Experiment Flights

Crew chief Darin Whittington and mechanic Edwin Flores watch as mechanic Francisco Rodriguez works on a mounting...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA ER-2 Prepares for Geological Earth Mapping Experiment Flights
Image
Mar 10, 2026

NASA ER-2 Prepares for Geological Earth Mapping Experiment Flights

Mechanic Francisco Rodriguez and crew chief Darin Whittington installed the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging...

AFRC
NASA image: Hurricane Frances as Observed by NASA Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder AIRS and SeaWinds Scatterometer
Image
Aug 30, 2004

Hurricane Frances as Observed by NASA Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder AIRS and SeaWinds Scatterometer

This image shows Hurricane Frances in August 2004 as captured by instruments onboard two different NASA satellites:...

JPL
NASA image: Freezing WISE Hydrogen
Image
Nov 12, 2009

Freezing WISE Hydrogen

A scaffolding structure built around NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer allows engineers to freeze its...

JPL
NASA image: Cassini's Infrared Saturn (Directors Cut)
Video
Sep 12, 2017

Cassini's Infrared Saturn (Directors Cut)

The Cassini-Huygens mission arrived at Saturn in 2004, beginning an epic thirteen-year tour of the ringed planet and...

GSFC
NASA image: Cassini's Infrared Saturn (Short Version)
Video
Sep 12, 2017

Cassini's Infrared Saturn (Short Version)

The Cassini-Huygens mission arrived at Saturn in 2004, beginning an epic thirteen-year tour of the ringed planet and...

GSFC
NASA image: Culann Patera/NIMS
Image
May 18, 2000

Culann Patera/NIMS

The Culann Patera volcano on Jupiter moon Io was observed by the near-infrared mapping spectrometer instrument...

JPL
NASA image: Hawaii Kilauea Volcano Belches a Toxic Brew
Image
Apr 4, 2008

Hawaii Kilauea Volcano Belches a Toxic Brew

On the night of March 25, 2008, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer instrument on...

JPL
NASA image: Vesta in Spectrometer View
Image
Jun 23, 2011

Vesta in Spectrometer View

On June 8, 2011, the visible and infrared mapping spectrometer aboard NASA Dawn spacecraft captured the instrument...

JPL
NASA image: Super Typhoon Haiyan
Image
Nov 8, 2013

Super Typhoon Haiyan

Satellite images obtained from NASA Atmospheric Infrared Sounder AIRS instrument aboard NASA Aqua spacecraft provide...

JPL
NASA image: Shake, Rattle and Roll: James Webb Telescope Components Pass Tests
Image
Sep 24, 2008

Shake, Rattle and Roll: James Webb Telescope Components Pass Tests

Mike Ressler right and Kalyani Sukhatme of NASA JPL pose in the clean room with a model component, called a focal...

JPL
NASA image: Saturn Rings in Infrared
Image
Oct 11, 2006

Saturn Rings in Infrared

This mosaic of Saturn rings was acquired by NASA Cassini visual and infrared mapping spectrometer instrument on...

JPL
NASA image: A Look Inside WISE
Image
Oct 20, 2009

A Look Inside WISE

The science instrument on NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer is shown here with its aperture cover removed,...

JPL
NASA image: Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer
Image
Dec 20, 2012

Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer

This image shows the visual and infrared mapping spectrometer instrument just before it was attached to NASA Cassini...

JPL
NASA image: NASA Satellite Shows a Mean Irene Fury
Image
Aug 28, 2011

NASA Satellite Shows a Mean Irene Fury

This infrared image of Hurricane Irene from the AIRS instrument on NASA Aqua spacecraft, was taken at 2:47 a.m. EDT...

JPL
NASA image: AIRS Storm Front Approaching California animation
Image
Aug 24, 2005

AIRS Storm Front Approaching California animation

NASA Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument is able to peel back cloud cover to reveal 3-D structure of a storm...

JPL
NASA image: Global Carbon Dioxide Transport from AIRS Data, July 2009
Image
Nov 9, 2009

Global Carbon Dioxide Transport from AIRS Data, July 2009

Created with data acquired by JPL Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument during July 2009 this image shows...

JPL
NASA image: Concentration and Transport of Carbon Monoxide from the California Wildfires
Image
Sep 4, 2009

Concentration and Transport of Carbon Monoxide from the California Wildfires

Carbon monoxide in the smoke from the Station fire was lofted high into the atmosphere, where it was observed by JPL...

JPL
NASA image: Webb Instrument Undergoes Alignment Testing
Image
Aug 18, 2011

Webb Instrument Undergoes Alignment Testing

The Mid-Infrared Instrument, a component of NASA James Webb Space Telescope, underwent alignment testing at the...

JPL
NASA image: Embryonic Star Outburst
Image
Mar 23, 2015

Embryonic Star Outburst

Infrared images from instruments at Kitt Peak National Observatory left and NASA Spitzer Space Telescope document...

JPL
NASA image: AIRS First Light Data: Eastern Mediterranean, June 14, 2002
Image
Jun 14, 2002

AIRS First Light Data: Eastern Mediterranean, June 14, 2002

These four images of the Mediterranean were obtained concurrently on June 14, 2002 from the three instruments that...

JPL
NASA image: Callisto Southern Hemisphere as Viewed by NIMS & SSI
Image
Nov 17, 1997

Callisto Southern Hemisphere as Viewed by NIMS & SSI

Callisto southern hemisphere was imaged by both the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer NIMS and the Solid State...

JPL
NASA image: Webb Instrument Inside Test Chamber
Image
Aug 18, 2011

Webb Instrument Inside Test Chamber

The Mid-Infrared Instrument, a component of NASA James Webb Space Telescope, underwent testing inside the thermal...

JPL
PreviousPage 4 of 52Next

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