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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 "Ion Propulsion"

226 results found - Page 1 of 10

NASA image: Advanced Space Transportation Program (ASTP)
Image
Jul 21, 2003

Advanced Space Transportation Program (ASTP)

An ion thruster is removed from a vacuum chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The...

MSFC
NASA image: Thumbs-up for Ion Propulsion
Image
Jul 7, 2020

Thumbs-up for Ion Propulsion

Psyche engineers adapted to COVID-19 social distancing and masking requirements while testing the Hall thrusters...

JPL
NASA image: Engineer Examines Cluster of Ion Engines in the Electric Propulsion Laboratory
Image
Jan 23, 1963

Engineer Examines Cluster of Ion Engines in the Electric Propulsion Laboratory

New staff member Paul Margosian inspects a cluster of ion engines in the Electric Propulsion Laboratory’s 25-foot...

GRC
NASA image: Exposed Interior of Dawn Spacecraft
Image
May 29, 2009

Exposed Interior of Dawn Spacecraft

Exposed interior of NASA Dawn spacecraft showing ion propulsion system xenon feed system.

JPL
NASA image: Illustration of Dawn Spacecraft Core Structure
Image
May 29, 2009

Illustration of Dawn Spacecraft Core Structure

This illustration shows the core structure with ion propulsion system installed aboard NASA Dawn spacecraft.

JPL
NASA image: Deep Space 1 Ion Engine
Image
Dec 21, 2002

Deep Space 1 Ion Engine

This image of a xenon ion engine, photographed through a port of the vacuum chamber where it was being tested at...

JPL
NASA image: Spare Ion Engine Being Checked
Image
Jul 30, 2003

Spare Ion Engine Being Checked

An ion thruster is removed from a vacuum chamber at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., its job done...

JPL
NASA image: Dawn Blue Glow Artist Concept
Image
Mar 2, 2015

Dawn Blue Glow Artist Concept

This artist concept shows NASA Dawn spacecraft arriving at the dwarf planet Ceres. Dawn travels through space using...

JPL
NASA image: GRC-2001-C-00377
Image
May 1, 2004

GRC-2001-C-00377

ION PROPULSION LABORATORIES - HYDROFORMING RIG

GRC
NASA image: GRC-2001-C-00376
Image
May 1, 2004

GRC-2001-C-00376

ION PROPULSION LABORATORIES - CLEAN ROOM

GRC
NASA image: GRC-2000-C-00663
Image
Jun 7, 1996

GRC-2000-C-00663

EXPRESS INTEGRATED TEST ION PROPULSION SYSTEM

GRC
NASA image: KSC-07pd1387
Image
Jun 6, 2007

KSC-07pd1387

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Astrotech's Hazardous Processing Facility, technicians check data during the...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-07pd1385
Image
Jun 6, 2007

KSC-07pd1385

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Astrotech's Hazardous Processing Facility, technicians check data during the...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-07pd1390
Image
Jun 7, 2007

KSC-07pd1390

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Astrotech's Hazardous Processing Facility, a technician checks the connections for...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-07pd1389
Image
Jun 7, 2007

KSC-07pd1389

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Astrotech's Hazardous Processing Facility, technicians look at the connections for...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-07pd1388
Image
Jun 7, 2007

KSC-07pd1388

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Astrotech's Hazardous Processing Facility, technicians are loading the Dawn...

KSC
NASA image: KSC-07pd1386
Image
Jun 6, 2007

KSC-07pd1386

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Astrotech's Hazardous Processing Facility, a technician monitors the loading of...

KSC
NASA image: GRC-2000-C-00235
Image
Nov 10, 1999

GRC-2000-C-00235

EXPRESS PPU POWER PROPULSION UNIT 160 CIRCUIT BOARDS FOR POWER UNIT OF ION THRUSTER

GRC
NASA image: NEXT-C Dart Propulsion
Video
Nov 23, 2021

NEXT-C Dart Propulsion

NEXT-C Dart Propulsion explainer package (played in DART Live Launch broadcast)

KSC
NASA image: Deep Space 1 Ion Engine
Image
Dec 21, 2002

Deep Space 1 Ion Engine

This image of a xenon ion engine prototype, photographed through a port of the vacuum chamber where it was being...

JPL
NASA image: Deep Space 1 Ion Engine
Image
Dec 21, 2002

Deep Space 1 Ion Engine

Kennedy Space Center, Florida. - Deep Space 1 is lifted from its work platform, giving a closeup view of the...

NASA image: Dawn Artist Concept Realistic Ceres
Image
Sep 27, 2016

Dawn Artist Concept Realistic Ceres

This artist's rendering shows NASA's Dawn spacecraft maneuvering above Ceres with its ion propulsion system. Dawn...

JPL
NASA image: Interior of Vacuum Tank at the Electric Propulsion Laboratory
Image
Aug 23, 1961

Interior of Vacuum Tank at the Electric Propulsion Laboratory

Interior of the 20-foot diameter vacuum tank at the NASA Lewis Research Center’s Electric Propulsion Laboratory....

GRC
NASA image: Research Technology
Image
Apr 15, 2004

Research Technology

Harnessing the Sun's energy through Solar Thermal Propulsion will propel vehicles through space by significantly...

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

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Mission updates & discoveries