Is there an API for NASA Image Library?

NASA Image Library does not offer a public data API for this, but Anakin Wire provides 2 maintained endpoints for images.nasa.gov. You call Anakin's REST API with an action ID and parameters and get structured JSON back; Anakin handles the browser, proxies, anti-bot, and parsing.

How do I scrape NASA Image Library data?

POST to https://api.anakin.io/v1/wire/task with your API key, the action ID, and its parameters, then poll GET /v1/wire/jobs/{id} until the job settles. There is nothing to install and no scraper to maintain — when images.nasa.gov changes its markup, Anakin updates the action.

Do I need a NASA Image Library account?

No. Every NASA Image Library action listed here runs anonymously — no account and no credentials required.

What does the NASA Image Library API cost?

Usage-based credits, charged per call and refunded automatically when a job fails. New accounts start with 300 free credits and no card. See anakin.io/pricing for the current rates.

Research

NASA Image Library API

images.nasa.gov

NASA Image Library - record search with image, video, and audio media metadata.

Actions: 2
Category: Research
Login: Not required
Output: JSON

Get an API key Wire API reference

Call the NASA Image Library API

Submit a task, then poll the job until it settles. This example runs act_images_nasa_gov_asset_manifest.

curl -X POST https://api.anakin.io/v1/wire/task \
  -H "X-API-Key: $ANAKIN_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "action_id": "act_images_nasa_gov_asset_manifest",
    "params": {
      "nasa_id": "KSC-20250226-AU-ILW01-0001-SpaceX_CLPS_IM-2_Live_Launch_Coverage_Beach-1_Causeway-2"
    }
  }'

2 actions on images.nasa.gov

Read

Asset Manifest
act_images_nasa_gov_asset_manifestread1 credit / call
Returns downloadable media rendition URLs and the metadata.json link for a record.
nasa_id
string · required
Asset Metadata Location
act_images_nasa_gov_asset_metadata_locationread1 credit / call
Returns the metadata.json URL and media type for a record.
nasa_id
string · required

NASA Image Library API questions

Is there an API for NASA Image Library?: NASA Image Library does not offer a public data API for this, but Anakin Wire provides 2 maintained endpoints for images.nasa.gov. You call Anakin's REST API with an action ID and parameters and get structured JSON back; Anakin handles the browser, proxies, anti-bot, and parsing.
How do I scrape NASA Image Library data?: POST to https://api.anakin.io/v1/wire/task with your API key, the action ID, and its parameters, then poll GET /v1/wire/jobs/{id} until the job settles. There is nothing to install and no scraper to maintain — when images.nasa.gov changes its markup, Anakin updates the action.
Do I need a NASA Image Library account?: No. Every NASA Image Library action listed here runs anonymously — no account and no credentials required.
What does the NASA Image Library API cost?: Usage-based credits, charged per call and refunded automatically when a job fails. New accounts start with 300 free credits and no card. See anakin.io/pricing for the current rates.