I recently built nasa-media, a web application that allows users to explore NASA’s public image archive using the NASA Image and Video Library API.
The goal of this project was not just to consume an API, but to turn a raw data source into a clean, usable and user-friendly experience.
🛰️ About the NASA Image & Video Library API
NASA provides a public API that grants access to:
historical space missions
planetary exploration images
lunar archives (Apollo missions)
ISS, Mars rovers, astronomy media
The API endpoint used in this project is: https://nasa-media.vercel.app/
🎯 Project goals
My main objectives were:
âś… Make large archives easy to explore
âś… Keep the UI readable even with long descriptions
âś… Provide a fast and intuitive search experience
âś… Ensure the app works well on desktop and mobile
âś… Preserve clarity and performance despite pagination
⚙️ Tech stack
React
Fetch API
NASA Image & Video Library API
CSS (flexbox / responsive design)
React Router
Lottie animations
🔎 Key features
1. Search system
Users can search for specific topics or missions:
Moon
Apollo
Mars
ISS
Any NASA-related keyword
Each search resets pagination to keep results consistent.
2. Paginated results
The API supports pagination, which is handled client-side:
next / previous navigation
detection of remaining pages
automatic scroll-to-top on page changes
This keeps the UX smooth and predictable.
3. Enriched image cards
Each result card displays:
the image
the official NASA title
the full description from the archive
The descriptions are always visible, allowing users to understand the context of each image without extra clicks.
4. UX improvements
Some UX details that made a big difference:
smooth scroll between pages
responsive layout for small screens
click on image opens high-resolution version
clear page description explaining how to use the app
automatic closing of mobile navigation menu
🧠What I learned
This project helped me reinforce several skills:
Working with real-world public APIs
Handling API inconsistencies and missing fields
Designing UI around long-form content
Improving UX without overcomplicating the interface
Managing state and pagination cleanly in React
It also reminded me that good UX matters as much as clean code, especially when dealing with large datasets.
🚧 Possible next improvements
Some ideas I’d like to explore next:
route-based detail pages for each image
lazy loading for images
SEO improvements for archive pages
filters by media type or NASA center
skeleton loaders for better perceived performance
🌍 Final thoughts
nasa-media is a personal project, but it reflects how I like to approach development:
clean UI, clear purpose, and meaningful data presentation.
If you enjoy working with APIs, open data, or frontend UX, I highly recommend exploring NASA’s public APIs — there’s a lot of fascinating content available.
Thanks for reading 🚀
Feel free to share feedback or ideas for improvement.
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