NASA Gallery
Highlights from NASA's public imagery.
Overview
NASA-produced imagery is generally in the public domain, which makes it the single largest freely reusable collection of space photography in existence. That freedom comes with conditions that are widely misunderstood, and this page sets them out.
- Most NASA-produced material is public domain because it is a work of the US federal government.
- 'Generally' is doing real work — NASA hosts third-party material that is not public domain.
- Public domain does not authorise implying NASA endorsement.
- Images of identifiable people carry separate personality-rights considerations.
Why NASA imagery is usually public domain
Works produced by employees of the United States federal government in the course of their duties are not subject to domestic copyright. NASA is a federal agency, so imagery produced by NASA staff and by its contractors under the relevant terms is generally free of copyright restriction.
This is why NASA photographs appear so widely — in textbooks, news coverage, documentaries and commercial products — without licensing negotiations. It is one of the more consequential open-access policies in science communication.
The exceptions that matter
- NASA hosts material produced by international partners. ESA, JAXA, CSA and others have their own licence terms, and joint missions may carry combined credit lines with mixed conditions.
- Some hosted material is licensed from third parties, including commercial imagery and contributed photographs, and remains under its original copyright.
- The NASA insignia, logotype and seal are protected separately and may not be used in ways implying endorsement, regardless of the copyright status of imagery containing them.
- Photographs of identifiable individuals may not be used to imply endorsement of a product or service, which is a personality-rights matter independent of copyright.
How to check an individual item
The reliable method is to consult the source record on the official NASA archive page, which states the credit line and any usage note, rather than assuming from the domain that an item is unrestricted. Credit lines that include a partner agency or an individual photographer are the clearest signal that additional terms may apply.
This is exactly what the platform's image records capture: the credit as stated, the licence as stated, and a link back to the source page so the claim can be checked. Where a licence cannot be established, the image is not catalogued.
What the collections contain
NASA's imagery spans mission photography from crewed and robotic programmes, planetary surface and orbital imaging, Earth observation, and releases from the space telescopes it operates or co-operates. Much of the most reproduced astronomical imagery — Hubble and JWST releases in particular — reaches the public through this route.
Asteria Star's catalogue records the individual items it has verified, and links to the archive pages for the rest. The catalogue count is shown on the archive listing, and it is a verified subset rather than a claim to completeness.
Continue in the data
Catalogues, hubs, and reference pages that hold the underlying records for this topic.
Frequently asked
- Is all NASA imagery free to use?
- Most of it, but not all. Material produced by NASA employees and qualifying contractors is generally public domain because works of the US federal government are not subject to domestic copyright. NASA also hosts imagery from international partners and third parties that remains under its own terms, so individual items should be checked against their source record.
- Can I use a NASA photo in a commercial product?
- Public-domain items generally yes, with two important caveats. The NASA insignia and logotype are separately protected and may not be used in ways implying endorsement, and photographs of identifiable people may not be used to suggest they endorse a product — a personality-rights restriction independent of copyright.
- How do I find the licence for a specific NASA image?
- Check the official archive record for that item, which states the credit line and any usage notes. A credit that names a partner agency such as ESA or JAXA, or an individual photographer, is the clearest indication that additional terms apply beyond the general public-domain position.