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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 "optical research"

201 results found - Page 6 of 9

NASA image: Orion Hatch Window Testing
Image
Apr 9, 2018

Orion Hatch Window Testing

The first optical quality testing on a full window stack that is ready for installation in the docking hatch of...

KSC
NASA image: Orion Hatch Window Testing
Image
Apr 9, 2018

Orion Hatch Window Testing

Mark Nurge, Ph.D., a physicist in the Applied Physics Lab with the Exploration Research and Technology Programs at...

KSC
NASA image: Microgravity
Image
Jan 24, 2001

Microgravity

A 3 mm-diameter droplet of aluminum oxide, heated to 2371 deg. C (4,300 deg. F), is suspended in midair by six...

MSFC
NASA image: Orion Hatch Window Testing
Image
Apr 9, 2018

Orion Hatch Window Testing

Inside a laboratory in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in...

KSC
NASA image: Microgravity
Image
Apr 15, 2004

Microgravity

Marshall Space Flight Center's researchers have conducted suborbital experiments with ZBLAN, an optical material...

MSFC
NASA image: Earth Science
Image
Aug 1, 2002

Earth Science

A NASA team studying the causes of electrical storms and their effects on our home planet achieved a milestone on...

MSFC
NASA image: Optical Recorder of the Lunar Sounder Experiment
Image
Nov 22, 1972

Optical Recorder of the Lunar Sounder Experiment

S72-49482 (November 1972) --- The Optical Recorder of the Lunar Sounder Experiment (S-209) which will be mounted in...

JSC
NASA image: Updated WORF patch
Image
Aug 16, 2012

Updated WORF patch

This patch represents the essential elements associated with pressurized Earth science research aboard the...

JSC
NASA image: Researcher Determining a Ruby Laser’s Effect on a Crystal
Image
May 23, 1965

Researcher Determining a Ruby Laser’s Effect on a Crystal

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center researcher Americo Forestieri aims a ruby...

GRC
NASA image: Space Science
Image
Apr 1, 2001

Space Science

In this photograph, Vince Huegele of the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) Space Optics Manufacturing...

MSFC
NASA image: SDO Observes a Partial Lunar Eclipse
Image
Nov 14, 2018

SDO Observes a Partial Lunar Eclipse

On Nov. 7, 2018 for just under an hour, SDO viewed a lunar transit, when the Moon partially blocked SDO's view of...

JPL
NASA image: Psyche Live Launch Coverage - Helicopter B-Roll (8K)
Video
Oct 13, 2023

Psyche Live Launch Coverage - Helicopter B-Roll (8K)

The live launch broadcast for NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, a mission to a unique metal-rich asteroid. Psyche will...

KSC
NASA image: Psyche Live Launch Coverage - ISO B-Roll String (4K)
Video
Oct 13, 2023

Psyche Live Launch Coverage - ISO B-Roll String (4K)

The live launch broadcast for NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, a mission to a unique metal-rich asteroid. Psyche will...

KSC
NASA image: Around Marshall
Image
Sep 30, 1999

Around Marshall

Through Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Education Department, over 400 MSFC employees have volunteered to...

MSFC
NASA image: Psyche Live Launch Coverage
Video
Oct 13, 2023

Psyche Live Launch Coverage

The live launch broadcast for NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, a mission to a unique metal-rich asteroid. Psyche will...

KSC
NASA image: Winds of Change
Image
Dec 8, 2017

Winds of Change

Observation Date: 1 pointing on Dec 4, 2000 and 9 pointings between Nov 18 and Dec 5, 2008. Distance Estimate: About...

GSFC
NASA image: NASA's Swift Mission Maps a Star's 'Death Spiral' into a Black Hole
Image
Dec 8, 2017

NASA's Swift Mission Maps a Star's 'Death Spiral' into a Black Hole

Some 290 million years ago, a star much like the sun wandered too close to the central black hole of its galaxy....

GSFC
NASA image: Airborne NASA Radar Maps Mauna Loa Lava Changes in Hawaii
Image
Dec 19, 2022

Airborne NASA Radar Maps Mauna Loa Lava Changes in Hawaii

The world's largest active volcano – Hawaii's Mauna Loa – had been quiet for 38 years. But in 2022, the volcano...

JPL
NASA image: Professor Gerold Willing on Applications for Colloidal Crystals Made From Nanoparticle Haloing Suspensions
Video
Feb 7, 2023

Professor Gerold Willing on Applications for Colloidal Crystals Made From Nanoparticle Haloing Suspensions

Professor Gerold Willing from the University of Louisville speaks about Colloidal Crystals possible use in the...

GRC
NASA image: Psyche Prelaunch News Conference
Video
Oct 11, 2023

Psyche Prelaunch News Conference

The Prelaunch News Conference ahead of launch for NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, a mission to a unique metal-rich...

KSC
NASA image: NASA's Psyche: Picking up Launch Prep for 2023
Image
Jan 24, 2023

NASA's Psyche: Picking up Launch Prep for 2023

NASA's Psyche spacecraft is shown in a clean room on Dec. 8, 2022, at Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the...

JPL
NASA image: Psyche Mission and Science Briefing
Image
Oct 10, 2023

Psyche Mission and Science Briefing

The science briefing ahead of launch for NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, a mission to a unique metal-rich asteroid. Psyche...

KSC
NASA image: s48-e-013
Image
Nov 8, 2012

s48-e-013

S48-E-013 (15 Sept 1991) --- The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) in the payload bay of the earth-...

JSC
NASA image: Around Marshall
Image
Dec 7, 1990

Around Marshall

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet...

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