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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 "Milt Thompson"

21 results found

NASA image: M2-F1 on lakebed with pilot Milt Thompson
Image
Aug 15, 1963

M2-F1 on lakebed with pilot Milt Thompson

NASA Flight Research Pilot Milt Thompson, shown here on the lakebed with the M2-F1 lifting body, was an early backer...

AFRC
NASA image: Jay L. King, Joseph D. Huxman, and Orion D. Billeter Assist Pilot Milt Thompson into the M2-F2 Attached to B-52 Mothership
Image
Feb 28, 1966

Jay L. King, Joseph D. Huxman, and Orion D. Billeter Assist Pilot Milt Thompson into the M2-F2 Attached to B-52 Mothership

NASA research pilot Milt Thompson is helped into the cockpit of the M2-F2 lifting body research aircraft at NASA’s...

AFRC
NASA image: EC63-00221
Image
Oct 24, 1963

EC63-00221

All three NASA F-104N's fly in formation. Aircraft numbers 011, 012 and 013. These would be changed to 811, 812 and...

AFRC
NASA image: Research Pilot Milt Thompson in M2-F2 Aircraft Attached to B-52 Mothership
Image
Feb 28, 1966

Research Pilot Milt Thompson in M2-F2 Aircraft Attached to B-52 Mothership

NASA research pilot Milt Thompson sits in the M2-F2 "heavyweight" lifting body research vehicle before a 1966 test...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F1 in flight
Image
Oct 15, 1963

M2-F1 in flight

The M2-F1 Lifting Body is seen here under tow, high above Rogers Dry Lake near the Flight Research Center (later...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F1 in flight over lakebed on tow line
Image
Aug 16, 1963

M2-F1 in flight over lakebed on tow line

After initial ground-tow flights of the M2-F1 using the Pontiac as a tow vehicle, the way was clear to make air tows...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F2 on ramp
Image
Feb 24, 1966

M2-F2 on ramp

The M2-F2 Lifting Body is seen here on the ramp at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The success of Dryden's...

AFRC
NASA image: Dale Reed with model in front of M2-F1
Image
Mar 6, 1967

Dale Reed with model in front of M2-F1

Dale Reed with a model of the M2-F1 in front of the actual lifting body. Reed used the model to show the potential...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F2 cockpit instrument panels
Image
Mar 27, 1966

M2-F2 cockpit instrument panels

This photo shows the left side cockpit instrumentation panel of the M2-F2 Lifting Body. The success of Dryden's...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F2 cockpit instrument panels
Image
Mar 27, 1966

M2-F2 cockpit instrument panels

This photo shows the right side cockpit instrumentation panel of the M2-F2 Lifting Body. The success of Dryden's...

AFRC
NASA image: ECN-2301
Image
Sep 10, 1969

ECN-2301

The Hyper III was a low-cost test vehicle for an advanced lifting-body shape. Like the earlier M2-F1, it was a...

AFRC
NASA image: ECN-2304
Image
Sep 10, 1969

ECN-2304

The Hyper III was a full-scale lifting-body remotely piloted research vehicle (RPRV) built at what was then the NASA...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F2 with test pilot Bruce A. Peterson
Image
Sep 22, 1966

M2-F2 with test pilot Bruce A. Peterson

Bruce A. Peterson standing beside the M2-F2 lifting body on Rogers Dry Lake. Peterson became the NASA project pilot...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F3 with test pilot John A. Manke
Image
Dec 20, 1972

M2-F3 with test pilot John A. Manke

NASA research pilot John A. Manke is seen here in front of the M2-F3 Lifting Body. Manke was hired by NASA on May...

AFRC
NASA image: EC69-2247
Image
Aug 6, 1969

EC69-2247

John Manke is shown here on the lakebed next to the HL-10, one of four different lifting-body vehicles he flew,...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F1 cockpit
Image
Mar 21, 1963

M2-F1 cockpit

This photo shows the cockpit configuration of the M2-F1 wingless lifting body. With a top speed of about 120 knots,...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F1 ejection seat test at South Edwards
Image
Mar 15, 1963

M2-F1 ejection seat test at South Edwards

The M2-F1 was fitted with an ejection seat before the airtow flights began. The project selected the seat used in...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F1 lifting body aircraft on a flatbed truck
Image
Aug 22, 1997

M2-F1 lifting body aircraft on a flatbed truck

After the grounding of the M2-F1 in 1966, it was kept in outside storage on the Dryden complex. After several years,...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F1 in flight over lakebed on tow line
Image
Aug 30, 1963

M2-F1 in flight over lakebed on tow line

Following the first M2-F1 airtow flight on 16 August 1963, the Flight Research Center used the vehicle for both...

AFRC
NASA image: M2-F1 in flight
Image
Aug 28, 1964

M2-F1 in flight

The M2-F1 Lifting Body is seen here under tow by an unseen C-47 at the NASA Flight Research Center (later...

AFRC
NASA image: E-10598
Image
Nov 5, 1963

E-10598

In this photo of the M2-F1 lifting body and the Paresev 1B on the ramp, the viewer sees two vehicles representing...

AFRC

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.

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