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 "X-15 pilot"

63 results found - Page 1 of 3

NASA image: Air Force pilot Mike Adam poses with X-15 flown with NASA
Image
Mar 22, 1967

Air Force pilot Mike Adam poses with X-15 flown with NASA

Air Force pilot Mike Adams poses in front of X-15-#1 after flight on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base in...

AFRC
NASA image: X-15 pilots
Image
Dec 2, 1965

X-15 pilots

X-15 Pilots, Left to Right: Air Force pilot William J. "Pete" Knight, Air Force Major Robert A. Rushworth, Air Force...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA Dryden test pilot Michael J. Adams
Image
Mar 22, 1967

NASA Dryden test pilot Michael J. Adams

Air Force test pilot Maj. Michael J. Adams stands beside X-15 ship number one. Adams was selected for the X-15...

AFRC
NASA image: Robert White, Bill Dana, Neil Armstrong and Joe Engle were on hand when astronaut wings were presented to the three NASA pilots who flew the X-15 into space.
Image
Aug 23, 2005

Robert White, Bill Dana, Neil Armstrong and Joe Engle were on hand when astronaut wings were presented to the three NASA pilots who flew the X-15 into space.

Four of the five surviving X-15 pilots were on hand when astronaut wings were presented to the three NASA pilots who...

AFRC
NASA image: Joseph A. Walker after X-15 flight #2-14-28
Image
Mar 30, 1961

Joseph A. Walker after X-15 flight #2-14-28

Joseph A. Walker was a Chief Research Pilot at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center during the mid-1960s. He...

AFRC
NASA image: John B. McKay after X-15 flight #3-27-44
Image
Mar 13, 1964

John B. McKay after X-15 flight #3-27-44

John B. McKay was one of the first pilots assigned to the X-15 flight research program at NASA's Flight Research...

AFRC
NASA image: Star Trek Cast and Crew Visit NASA Dryden in 1967
Image
Apr 13, 1967

Star Trek Cast and Crew Visit NASA Dryden in 1967

The 1960s Star Trek television series’ cast member Chief Medical Officer Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy played by DeForest...

AFRC
NASA image: Chief research pilot Joseph Walker flew in 1960s and perished in 1966 while piloting a F-104 that caught vortex of a XB-70
Image
Mar 30, 1961

Chief research pilot Joseph Walker flew in 1960s and perished in 1966 while piloting a F-104 that caught vortex of a XB-70

Walker made the first NASA-piloted X-15 flight March 25, 1960, and flew the aircraft 24 times, achieving its highest...

AFRC
NASA image: Cracked canopy glass on right side of X-15 #2 after flt. 2-21-37 on Nov. 9 1961. Robert White-pilot. First flight to mach 6
Image
Nov 9, 1961

Cracked canopy glass on right side of X-15 #2 after flt. 2-21-37 on Nov. 9 1961. Robert White-pilot. First flight to mach 6

Cracked canopy glass on right side of X-15 #2 after flt. 2-21-37 on Nov. 9 1961. Robert White-pilot. First flight to...

AFRC
NASA image: Pilot Nils Larsen Speaks to Astronauts on X-59 Research Using Jets
Image
Jun 26, 2019

Pilot Nils Larsen Speaks to Astronauts on X-59 Research Using Jets

NASA’s 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California....

AFRC
NASA image: Pilot Nils Larsen Speaks to Astronauts on X-59 Research Using Jets
Image
Jun 26, 2019

Pilot Nils Larsen Speaks to Astronauts on X-59 Research Using Jets

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California....

AFRC
NASA image: Pilot Nils Larsen Speaks to Astronauts on X-59 Research Using Jets
Image
Jun 26, 2019

Pilot Nils Larsen Speaks to Astronauts on X-59 Research Using Jets

NASA's 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California....

AFRC
NASA image: X-15 Documentary
Video
Feb 1, 2021

X-15 Documentary

X-15 Documentary focused on the X-15 as a near-space vehicle. Early test footage, engineers in mission control room,...

AFRC
NASA image: X-15 #2 landing accident at Mud Lake, Nevada on November 9, 1962 after flight 2-31-52
Image
Nov 9, 1962

X-15 #2 landing accident at Mud Lake, Nevada on November 9, 1962 after flight 2-31-52

NASA research pilot Jack McKay was injured in a crash landing of the X-15 #2 on November 9, 1962. Following the...

AFRC
NASA image: Neil Armstrong and the Cutting Edge of Hypersonic Flight
Image
Dec 2, 1960

Neil Armstrong and the Cutting Edge of Hypersonic Flight

From the program’s inception, Neil Armstrong was actively engaged in both the piloting and engineering aspects of...

AFRC
NASA image: E56-2607
Image
Oct 8, 1956

E56-2607

Famed astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 space mission...

AFRC
NASA image: Astronauts Tour Aircraft Hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center
Image
Jun 26, 2019

Astronauts Tour Aircraft Hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center

NASA’s 2017 astronaut candidates (L to R) Raja Chari, Bob Hines, Joshua Kutryk, Jasmin Moghbeli, Jonny Kim, and...

AFRC
NASA image: Research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton in an F/A-18
Image
May 14, 2002

Research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton in an F/A-18

Former NASA astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton, seated in the cockpit of an F/A-18, is a research pilot at NASA's Dryden...

AFRC
NASA image: NASA Aerial Photographer Completes 1,000th Flight
Image
Apr 9, 2025

NASA Aerial Photographer Completes 1,000th Flight

F-15 aircraft crew chief Zack Burke, left, and X-59 mechanic Jamie Trescott, center back, splash buckets of ice...

AFRC
NASA image: John McKay after flight in F-104B
Image
Oct 17, 1962

John McKay after flight in F-104B

John McKay after flight in F-104B

AFRC
NASA image: Joe Walker in pressure suit with X-1E
Image
Jan 27, 1958

Joe Walker in pressure suit with X-1E

Joe Walker in a pressure suit beside the X-1E at the NASA High-Speed Flight Station, Edwards,California. The dice...

AFRC
NASA image: Stan Butchart climbing into B-47
Image
Jul 14, 1954

Stan Butchart climbing into B-47

From December 10, 1966, until his retirement on February 27, 1976, Stanley P. Butchart served as Chief (later,...

AFRC
NASA image: E-20168
Image
Apr 25, 1969

E-20168

NASA research pilot Bill Dana stands in front of the HL-10 Lifting Body following his first glide flight on April...

AFRC
NASA image: Bill Dana in front of HL-10 after flight H-24-37
Image
Sep 3, 1969

Bill Dana in front of HL-10 after flight H-24-37

NASA research pilot Bill Dana after his fourth free flight (1 glide and 3 powered) in the HL-10. This particular...

AFRC
PreviousPage 1 of 3Next

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