NASA API: Get Satellite Images and Mars Rover Photos (Free, No Credit Card)

#python #api #beginners #tutorial

NASA's API gives you access to satellite imagery, Mars rover photos, asteroid tracking, and astronomy picture of the day. Completely free. No credit card. 1,000 requests/hour.

Get Your API Key (30 Seconds)

Go to api.nasa.gov → enter email → instant API key.

Or use DEMO_KEY for testing (30 req/hr).

1. Astronomy Picture of the Day

import httpx

API_KEY = 'your_key_or_DEMO_KEY'

def apod(date=None):
    params = {'api_key': API_KEY}
    if date:
        params['date'] = date  # YYYY-MM-DD
    r = httpx.get('https://api.nasa.gov/planetary/apod', params=params)
    data = r.json()
    return {
        'title': data['title'],
        'explanation': data['explanation'][:200],
        'url': data['url'],
        'media_type': data['media_type']
    }

today = apod()
print(f"{today['title']}\n{today['url']}")

2. Mars Rover Photos

def mars_photos(rover='curiosity', sol=1000, camera='NAVCAM'):
    """Get photos from Mars rovers.
    Rovers: curiosity, opportunity, spirit
    Cameras: FHAZ, RHAZ, MAST, CHEMCAM, NAVCAM
    """
    r = httpx.get(f'https://api.nasa.gov/mars-photos/api/v1/rovers/{rover}/photos',
        params={'sol': sol, 'camera': camera, 'api_key': API_KEY}
    )
    photos = r.json()['photos']
    return [{
        'id': p['id'],
        'url': p['img_src'],
        'earth_date': p['earth_date'],
        'camera': p['camera']['full_name']
    } for p in photos[:10]]

photos = mars_photos(sol=3000)
for p in photos:
    print(f"Sol 3000 | {p['camera']} | {p['url']}")

3. Near-Earth Asteroids

def asteroids(start_date, end_date):
    r = httpx.get('https://api.nasa.gov/neo/rest/v1/feed', params={
        'start_date': start_date,
        'end_date': end_date,
        'api_key': API_KEY
    })
    data = r.json()
    dangerous = []
    for date, neos in data['near_earth_objects'].items():
        for neo in neos:
            if neo['is_potentially_hazardous_asteroid']:
                dangerous.append({
                    'name': neo['name'],
                    'date': date,
                    'diameter_m': neo['estimated_diameter']['meters']['estimated_diameter_max'],
                    'velocity_kmh': float(neo['close_approach_data'][0]['relative_velocity']['kilometers_per_hour']),
                    'miss_km': float(neo['close_approach_data'][0]['miss_distance']['kilometers'])
                })
    return dangerous

hazardous = asteroids('2026-03-25', '2026-03-31')
for a in hazardous:
    print(f"⚠️ {a['name']} — {a['diameter_m']:.0f}m @ {a['velocity_kmh']:.0f} km/h — miss by {a['miss_km']:,.0f} km")

4. Earth Satellite Imagery

def earth_image(lat, lon, date='2025-01-01', dim=0.1):
    """Get satellite image of any location."""
    r = httpx.get('https://api.nasa.gov/planetary/earth/imagery', params={
        'lat': lat, 'lon': lon, 'date': date,
        'dim': dim, 'api_key': API_KEY
    })
    if r.status_code == 200:
        with open(f'earth_{lat}_{lon}.png', 'wb') as f:
            f.write(r.content)
        return f'Saved earth_{lat}_{lon}.png'
    return 'No image available'

# Central Park, NYC
earth_image(40.785091, -73.968285)

Rate Limits

Key Type	Limit
DEMO_KEY	30/hour, 50/day
Free API key	1,000/hour

Build Ideas

Daily space fact bot (Telegram/Discord)
Asteroid proximity alert system
Mars photo gallery with filtering
Satellite before/after comparison tool
Space weather dashboard

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