NASA Image and Video Library Scraper
Pricing
from $7.50 / 1,000 results
NASA Image and Video Library Scraper
Scrapes the NASA Image and Video Library by search query. Returns each media asset as a flat row with title, description, date, media type, and direct download links. Filter by image, video, or audio.
Pricing
from $7.50 / 1,000 results
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0.0
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ParseForge
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2
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11 days ago
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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.
- ๐ Free-text search: Type any term like 'Apollo 11', 'nebula', or 'Mars rover' to find matching assets.
- ๐ฌ Media type filter: Restrict results to images, videos, or audio files only.
- ๐ 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
๐ Build a space exploration curriculum.
An educator searches for 'Apollo missions' and collects 500 images and videos to create an interactive timeline for students.
๐ฅ 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.
๐ฑ 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.
๐ 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:
A larger pull:
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
- Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
- Open the NASA Image and Video Library Scraper.
- Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
- 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:
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.
๐ Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.
โ ๏ธ 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.
