Log inSubmit server
Nasa Images logo

Nasa Images

Search NASA’s image library through MCP, browse results sequentially, and display them in an interactive viewer.

InstallRepositoryWebsite
Full README Compare alternatives Embed widget Claim this listing

Install Nasa Images

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nasa-images": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@kaitoy/nasa-images-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NASA_API_KEY": "YOUR_VALUE_HERE",
        "PORT": "YOUR_VALUE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Values are written into the snippet above so you can paste it as is. They never leave your browser.

We couldn’t confirm it starts correctly

We ran the install command but it didn't respond within our test window — this can mean a slow first-time install rather than a real problem.

npx -y @kaitoy/nasa-images-mcp-server

No response to initialize.

This is an experimental automated check and can have false negatives — missing environment variables, a slow cold install, etc. It doesn’t necessarily mean something’s wrong. Last checked 5d ago.

Overview

The nasa-images MCP server connects MCP clients to NASA’s Images API for keyword-based image searches. It supports stdio for local clients and Streamable HTTP for remote or multi-client use, with session state for navigating results. Reach for it when an agent needs to find NASA imagery and present images through the included MCP Apps viewer.

Use cases

  • Search NASA imagery by mission, object, or topic
  • Browse matching images sequentially in an MCP viewer
  • Connect a local Claude Desktop workflow through stdio
  • Test MCP image searches with MCP Inspector
  • Serve stateful image-search sessions over HTTP

Key features

  • NASA Images API keyword search
  • Sequential image navigation
  • MCP Apps HTML image viewer
  • Stdio and Streamable HTTP transports
  • Stateful HTTP sessions
  • Current-image URL resource

Tools1

What Nasa Images lets your agent do. Expand a tool for its parameters.

Self-reported~1 tokens of context

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

ActiveLast checked Today

Recent health check succeeded.

5/5 checks healthy over the last 34d

Supply-chain signal

No high-severity advisories surfaced by our automated scan.

Critical 0High 0Medium 0Low 0

Scanned 12d ago via OSV.dev · @kaitoy/nasa-images-mcp-server (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

GitHub stars1Stargazers on the source repository.
npm downloads136Package downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit7mo agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Install checkInconclusiveDidn't respond in our test window — often a slow first install.
Tools exposed1Callable tools this server registers over MCP.
Directory activity2 viewsConfig copies, upvotes, and views on AllMCPs.

How Nasa Images works

What nasa-images MCP server does

The nasa-images MCP server lets an MCP client search NASA’s image library by text query and inspect matching images one at a time. It is designed for workflows where an agent needs to find imagery such as Apollo missions or Mars rover photos and show the results in an interactive viewer.

The project includes an MCP Apps-style HTML viewer and resources for the current image. The nasa-image://current resource provides the URL of the image being displayed, while ui://nasa-images/viewer provides the viewer interface.

How it works

Search requests are sent through the server to NASA’s Images API at https://images-api.nasa.gov/search. Search state is retained so a client can request the next image without submitting the original query again. In HTTP mode, each client receives a session ID, and the server uses that session to maintain client-specific state.

Two transport options are available. Stdio communicates through standard input and output and starts one session per process. Streamable HTTP uses JSON-RPC over the /mcp endpoint and also provides an SSE connection for server notifications. The HTTP implementation exposes endpoints for initialization, requests, health checks, SSE streaming, and session closure.

Setup and configuration

The nasa-images MCP server requires Node.js 18 or newer, npm or yarn, and a NASA API key. Create an environment file from .env.example and set NASA_API_KEY to the key obtained from NASA’s API site. The HTTP server uses port 3000 by default; set PORT to choose another port.

For a local build, install dependencies with npm install, compile with npm run build, and use node build/index.js --stdio for stdio mode. The package can also be started with npx @kaitoy/nasa-images-mcp-server --stdio, without a local installation. HTTP mode starts with npm start.

Claude Desktop can launch the stdio process through an MCP configuration using either npx or the built JavaScript file. MCP Inspector can connect to the HTTP URL or launch the stdio command for testing. Custom clients can use the documented /mcp JSON-RPC and SSE endpoints.

Tools and capabilities

The available operations include:

  • search_nasa_images: searches NASA’s image library using a required string query.
  • get_next_image: displays the next image in the current search results and takes no parameters.

The README’s tool overview also refers to the exposed search capability as query. Clients should use the registered tool names returned by tools/list when integrating. Search results are displayed sequentially rather than selected through a documented pagination parameter.

Limitations and notes

NASA API access requires a key. NASA documents a lower limit for DEMO_KEY of 30 requests per hour and 50 per day, while a registered key is listed at 1,000 requests per hour. These limits can affect repeated searches.

Stdio is intended for locally launched processes, whereas HTTP mode requires a client that can communicate with the server’s JSON-RPC, session, and SSE endpoints.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to share how it worked for you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nasa Images

nasa-images is an MCP server that connects MCP clients to NASA’s Images API. Its main tools search the NASA image library with a keyword and display the next result from the current search. It also provides an interactive HTML viewer, stdio and Streamable HTTP transports, and a resource for the current image URL.

Install it by cloning the repository, running `npm install`, creating `.env` from `.env.example`, setting `NASA_API_KEY`, and running `npm run build`. You can also launch the published package with `npx @kaitoy/nasa-images-mcp-server --stdio` without a local installation.

Configure Claude Desktop to run `npx -y @kaitoy/nasa-images-mcp-server --stdio` and pass `NASA_API_KEY` in the server’s `env` object. A local build can be used instead by setting the command to `node` and pointing `args` to `build/index.js --stdio`.

It describes stdio integration for Claude Desktop, HTTP and stdio testing with MCP Inspector, and connection details for custom MCP clients.

Run `npm start` to start the HTTP server on port 3000, or set `PORT` to another value before starting it. Clients connect to `/mcp` for JSON-RPC requests, use the same path with GET for SSE, and include the returned session ID in subsequent requests.

Related MCP servers

All in Aerospace & Astrodynamics All alternatives
Add a badge to your READMEShow it’s listed — live SVG, Markdown or HTML.

AllMCPs Directory Badge

Full Badge Customizer

Showcase your server listing on GitHub or your project documentation. Embed this dynamic SVG badge to highlight official listing status and live engagement.

Badge Style:
Live Dynamic SVG PreviewNasa Images AllMCPs Directory Badge
Markdown (GitHub README)
[![AllMCPs](https://allmcps.com/api/badge/nasa-images?style=directory)](https://allmcps.com/mcp/nasa-images)
HTML Embed
<a href="https://allmcps.com/mcp/nasa-images"><img src="https://allmcps.com/api/badge/nasa-images?style=directory" alt="Nasa Images on AllMCPs" /></a>