NASA Image and Video Library Scraper

NASA Image and Video Library Scraper

Scrape NASA images and videos by any search term, from Apollo missions to James Webb, up to a million per run. Every result comes with its title, description, date, media type, and direct download links. No API key required. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

NASA's official API requires understanding their complex data model and pagination. This scraper reads the public NASA Image and Video Library search directly, letting you collect images, videos, and audio files by a simple free-text query. Filter by media type and set a cap on the number of items, and the Actor returns a clean, flat dataset ready for analysis or content pipelines.

Who uses it	What they scrape NASA Image and Video Library for
Educators	Gathering high-resolution space imagery for lesson plans and presentations.
Content creators	Sourcing public domain NASA footage and photos for documentaries or social media.
Researchers	Building a corpus of historical mission imagery for analysis.
App developers	Populating a space or astronomy application with official NASA media.

What it does

This Actor collects media assets from the NASA Image and Video Library by search query and returns each one as a flat row with its metadata and download links.

• 🔍 Free-text search: Type any term like 'Apollo 11', 'nebula', or 'Mars rover' to find matching assets.
• 🎬 Media type filter: Restrict results to images, videos, or audio files only.
• 📊 Volume control: Set a maximum number of items to collect, from a single sample up to one million per run.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

What you can do with NASA Image and Video Library data

📚 Build a space exploration curriculum.

An educator searches for 'Apollo missions' and collects 500 images and videos to create an interactive timeline for students.

🎥 Produce a documentary on the James Webb telescope.

A filmmaker scrapes all 'James Webb' media, filters to video only, and downloads the highest-resolution footage for a feature.

📱 Fill an astronomy app with official imagery.

A developer runs daily queries for 'planet' and 'galaxy' to keep an app's media gallery fresh with NASA's latest releases.

📈 Analyze public engagement with NASA missions.

A researcher collects metadata on thousands of images to study which missions generate the most visual content over time.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
Direct download links	Each row includes the URL to the original media file for immediate use.
Rich metadata	Get the title, description, NASA ID, and capture date for every asset.
No API key	Access the public library without registration or authentication.
Flat, predictable output	Every result follows the same schema, ready for spreadsheets or databases.

How it compares

No other Store actor targets NASA Image and Video Library the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

	NASA Image and Video Library Scraper	Build it in-house	By hand
Setup	Run it now, zero config	Days of engineering	None, but hours per pull
When NASA Image and Video Library changes	Maintained for you	You fix it	You re-learn the page
Proxies, retries, anti-bot	Built in	Your problem	Browser only
Output	Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export	Whatever you build	Copy-paste
Cost	Pay per result	Engineering time	Analyst hours

Configure the run

Drive the Actor with a search query and an optional media type filter, and set a maximum item count so only the volume you need reaches your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

{
  "maxItems": 10
}

A larger pull:

{
  "maxItems": 200
}

Pricing

Pay-per-result: $0.0085 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

Results collected	Approximate cost
100 results	$0.85
1,000 results	$8.50
10,000 results	$85.00

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

Run it

1. Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
2. Open the NASA Image and Video Library Scraper.
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.

Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to NASA Image and Video Library through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/nasa-images-scraper"

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

Troubleshooting

Why am I getting no results for my search query?

The NASA library may not have assets matching that exact phrase. Try a simpler or broader term, like 'moon' instead of 'lunar surface Apollo 11 site'. Also verify the term works on the NASA Image and Video Library website directly.

Why does the run stop before reaching my max items limit?

The Actor stops when it has collected all available results for your query. If the NASA library only has 50 matches for your term, the run will finish after collecting those 50, even if your max items is set higher.

Why are some download links not working?

NASA occasionally moves or retires assets. The links are collected directly from their search results at the time of the run. If a link is broken later, try re-running the scraper to get an updated URL, or search for the asset by its NASA ID.

Why is my run timing out?

A very large max items value combined with a broad query can cause long run times. Try reducing the max items or increasing the Actor's timeout in the run settings. The Actor processes results in pages, so a high volume will take more time.

FAQ

Question	Answer
Do I need a NASA API key to use this scraper?	No. This Actor reads the public NASA Image and Video Library search interface directly, so no registration or API key is required.
What file formats can I download?	The scraper returns direct links to the original media files. NASA provides images as JPEG or PNG, videos as MP4, and audio as MP3. You can download them using the URLs in the dataset.
Can I filter by date range?	The current input schema supports filtering by search query and media type. Date range filtering is not a built-in input, but you can sort and filter the collected dataset by the date field after the run completes.
How many items can I scrape in one run?	You can set the maximum items from 1 up to 1,000,000 per run. The Actor will stop collecting once it reaches your specified limit.
Are NASA images copyrighted?	Most NASA media is in the public domain and free to use for educational, informational, and commercial purposes. You should still check the specific license terms linked in each asset's metadata for any exceptions, such as the NASA insignia logo.
Can I search for a specific NASA mission or instrument?	Yes. The search query accepts any free text. Try terms like 'Hubble', 'Perseverance rover', 'Artemis', or 'Chandra X-ray Observatory' to find assets from specific missions or instruments.
What happens if my search query returns no results?	The Actor will complete the run with an empty dataset. Try a broader or different search term, or check the NASA library website directly to confirm the term returns results.
Can I scrape both images and videos in the same run?	Yes. Leave the media type filter set to 'Any' and the Actor will collect images, videos, and audio files that match your search query.
Is the output suitable for machine learning datasets?	Yes. The flat, consistent schema with direct download links and metadata makes it straightforward to pipe the results into a data pipeline for training or fine-tuning models.
Does this scraper download the actual media files?	No. It collects the metadata and direct download URLs. You can use the URLs to download the files separately, or pair this Actor with a download tool.

Related actors

Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.

🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.