# NASA Space Imagery and Astronomy Media Radar (`adaptive_nightmare/nasa-space-imagery-radar`) Actor

Extract NASA Space Imagery and Astronomy Media data in clean JSON or CSV. Query by query, mediaType, center for records, engagement metrics, and metadata. Export datasets, run via API or Python/Node.js SDK, schedule runs, or integrate with webhooks with zero proxy fees.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/adaptive_nightmare/nasa-space-imagery-radar.md
- **Developed by:** [Darim Quraishi](https://apify.com/adaptive_nightmare) (community)
- **Categories:** Education, Videos, AI
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$1.10 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## NASA Space Imagery and Astronomy Media Radar

Search official NASA missions, deep space telescope imagery, planetary exploration photographs, and metadata without API keys.

### Features

- Queries the official NASA Image and Video Library indexing millions of space exploration media assets.
- Captures verified NASA media identifiers, high resolution preview thumbnails, and full asset manifests.
- Extracts mission centers (such as JPL, Goddard, Kennedy, or Johnson Space Center), historical capture dates, and scientific keywords.
- Filters media collections by format (photographs, video broadcasts, audio captures), creation year ranges, and operating centers.
- Operates via public NASA REST endpoints with zero API keys and zero proxy overhead.
- Delivers clean structured records formatted for export to JSON, CSV, Excel, or automated digital media catalogs.

### Input parameters

- Search Query: Topic or mission keyword (for example: James Webb Telescope, Mars Perseverance, or Apollo 11). Default is James Webb Telescope.
- Media Type Filter: Select imagery, video recordings, audio tracks, or all media formats. Default is image.
- NASA Center Filter: Restrict search results to a specific NASA facility (such as JPL or GSFC).
- Earliest Year: Optional starting calendar year (such as 1969).
- Latest Year: Optional ending calendar year.
- Maximum Media Items: Maximum number of media records to retrieve, up to 100. Default is 25.

### Output dataset fields

Each dataset record contains:

- nasaId: Official NASA media asset identifier (for example: PIA11195).
- title: Full headline title of the photograph or media recording.
- description: Detailed scientific mission description and instrument background.
- center: Operating NASA facility responsible for capturing and cataloging the media asset.
- dateCreated: ISO formatted timestamp when the media asset was created.
- mediaType: Classification format (image, video, or audio).
- keywords: Array of thematic astronomical and mission index tags.
- photographer: Credited NASA photographer or principal investigator.
- location: Terrestrial facility or celestial observation target.
- thumbnailUrl: Direct link to the image thumbnail preview.
- assetManifestUrl: Direct link to the JSON asset manifest containing all high resolution download URLs (including 4K, original, and printable formats).
- nasaLibraryUrl: Direct permanent link to the official asset page on images.nasa.gov.
- scrapedAt: UTC timestamp when the data was extracted.

### Use cases

- Science education: Build interactive space exploration galleries and astronomy educational resources.
- Media asset ingestion: Enrich wallpaper collections, astronomical blogs, and digital magazines with verified NASA captures.
- Computer vision research: Collect curated high resolution datasets of planetary landscapes and celestial bodies.
- Space journalism: Retrieve historical Apollo mission recordings and latest Mars rover imagery on announcement dates.

# Actor input Schema

## `query` (type: `string`):

Keyword to search across NASA missions, celestial bodies, and space telescopes (for example: James Webb Telescope, Mars Perseverance, Apollo 11, or Jupiter).

## `mediaType` (type: `string`):

Filter by media category.

## `center` (type: `string`):

Optional NASA operational center filter (for example: JPL, GSFC, KSC, or JSC).

## `yearStart` (type: `integer`):

Optional earliest creation year (for example: 1969 for Apollo, 2020 for Perseverance).

## `yearEnd` (type: `integer`):

Optional latest creation year.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of media assets to collect.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "query": "James Webb Telescope",
  "mediaType": "image",
  "maxItems": 25
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("adaptive_nightmare/nasa-space-imagery-radar").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("adaptive_nightmare/nasa-space-imagery-radar").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call adaptive_nightmare/nasa-space-imagery-radar --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,adaptive_nightmare/nasa-space-imagery-radar"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/O7HbHjlzE7Dvqf34B/builds/jvl7ptpIqncpMW9It/openapi.json