Frequently Asked Questions
The NASA Archives receives a wide range of questions from researchers, journalists, and the public seeking to understand NASA’s history and locate historical records, images, and documentation. This FAQ is designed to address the most common inquiries we receive—how to find archival materials of various types, where records are stored, and how reproductions and original materials can be used.
As stewards of NASA’s historically, scientifically, and culturally significant temporary records and non‑record materials, the NASA Archives aims to make NASA’s past discoverable and accessible while helping users navigate the broader landscape of resources available across NASA and the National Archives.
As the official repository for U.S. Government records, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) holds the largest collection of NASA and NACA (NASA’s predecessor organization) records. The Record Group number for all NASA records is 255 and the following guide identifies what permanent NASA records can be found at NARA:
NASA records are distributed across several of NARA’s regional facilities across the country. This guide identifies which NASA records are held at which facilities:
NARA Guide to NASA Records at Regional Facilities
Other collections related to NASA are available through the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Archives, and ArchiveGrid.
Large collections of imagery, video, and audio recordings can be found in the NASA Image and Video Library, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Image Gallery, and the Photojournal.
Custodianship of photograph collections varies by center. Contact NASA’s media team if the historical media you seek is not available in these libraries or if you need assistance locating imagery for your project.
The NASA STI Repository (also known as the NASA Technical Reports Server or NTRS) provides access to NASA metadata records, full-text online documents, images, and videos. The types of information included are conference papers, journal articles, meeting papers, patents, research reports, images, movies, and technical videos—scientific and technical information created or funded by NASA.
The NASA Archives primarily collects unique materials and not publications.
Visit the NASA History Office’s searchable list of oral history interview transcripts.
The NASA History Series is a large, online library of books and other historical publications about the agency’s history available on this website. Similarly, you can find books on past aeronautics and science projects available as free e-books.
These represent a small selection of the numerous publications that have been published on aerospace history and we recommend researchers explore library holdings for more materials on the topic.
See NASA’s Media Usage Guidelines for guidance on accepted and restricted usage scenarios, such as using NASA imagery and media for non-commercial, educational, commercial, and other projects.
See also the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Image Use Policy for guidance on using media from JPL.
Data from historical NASA missions are available from several respositories. Visit the NASA Data by Subject page for a listing of these data archives.
Original materials are not loaned out for research use.
Use the following format to cite a record found in the NASA Archives:
- Author name (if applicable), title of the document, date, folder name, folder number, box number, collection number, repository, geographical location.
For a digital record, cite the file name instead of the folder name, folder number, and box number.
NASA archivists do not conduct monetary appraisals or review non-NASA materials. To locate a private appraiser in your area, search the directories of professional associations devoted to appraisal, such as the Appraisers Association of America.
NASA Archives do not purchase materials. The archives may accept offers of donation when the materials are closely connected with the scope of our collections. If materials aren’t related to our collections we can provide advice on other repositories that may be interested in them.
For general inquiries, visit the Contact NASA page.
For media inquiries, visit the NASA Media Contacts page.
For FOIA requests, visit the NASA Freedom of Information Act page.
