# Free space footage: planets, stars and missions

> Free space stock video from NASA and open archives: planets, the Sun and Moon, galaxies, spacecraft and astronauts, with NASA's credit rules shown.

33 clips from 3 sources (Internet Archive 14, NASA Image and Video Library 14, NASA Scientific Visualization Studio 5), updated 2026-10-28. Picked from a live search and refreshed daily.

- Same search in the browser: https://video.shep.bot/search?q=space&category=space
- Same search over the API: `curl "https://video.shep.bot/v1/search?q=space&category=space"`
- Details, files and the credit line: `GET https://video.shep.bot/v1/clips/{id}` with an id from the table below.
- Licence verdicts: "Commercial use OK" (with or without credit) is cleared for commercial videos; anything else must be checked or is non-commercial. "(editorial)" means people, insignia or brands appear without releases: not for ads. See https://video.shep.bot/docs/licences.md
- Video is never re-hosted: posters, previews and downloads come straight from the source sites.

## Space, mostly from NASA

NASA is by far the largest free source of space footage: mission video, astronauts at work, the Sun in extreme ultraviolet, lunar flyovers, galaxies and nebulae, and animations of spacecraft that no camera could film. Wikimedia Commons adds footage from other agencies and observatories under free licences.

## Using it

Space footage carries real rules: credit NASA, keep the NASA logo out of your branding, don't suggest NASA endorses you, and ask before identifiable astronauts appear in an ad. That is why NASA clips carry an editorial flag here. Visualisations of data (the Sun, the Moon, star fields) contain no people or insignia and are the easiest to use as backgrounds.

Hover a card to play its preview straight from NASA's servers; open it for the 1080p and 4K files.

## Clips

| Clip | id | What | Source | Licence | Commercial use | Direct download |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Trades in Space](https://images.nasa.gov/details/MSFC_10112024_Trades%20in%20Space) | `nasa:MSFC_10112024_Trades in Space` | Space, 2024 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [Space 24/7/365: Space Station Benefits](https://images.nasa.gov/details/Space-247365) | `nasa:Space-247365` | Earth from space, 2022 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [Teenagers From Outer Space (1959)](https://archive.org/details/TeenagersFromOuterSpace1959) | `internetarchive:TeenagersFromOuterSpace1959` | Space, 1:28:58 | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [Meeting of the National Space Council at Kennedy Space Center](https://images.nasa.gov/details/Meeting%20of%20the%20National%20Space%20Council%20at%20Kennedy%20Space%20Center) | `nasa:Meeting of the National Space Council at Kennedy Space Center` | Space, 2020 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [The Space Adventures of Flash Gordon](https://archive.org/details/TheAdventuresOfFlashGordon) | `internetarchive:TheAdventuresOfFlashGordon` | Space, 26:00, 1955 | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [How Big is Space \| We Asked a NASA Expert](https://images.nasa.gov/details/How%20Big%20is%20Space) | `nasa:How Big is Space` | Space, 2025 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [Assignment Outer Space](https://archive.org/details/AssignmentOuterSpace) | `internetarchive:AssignmentOuterSpace` | Space, 1960 | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [NASA ASTRONAUTS WALK IN SPACE OUTSIDE THE SPACE STATION](https://images.nasa.gov/details/NHQ_2019_0322_NASA%20ASTRONAUTS%20WALK%20IN%20SPACE%20OUTSIDE%20THE%20SPACE%20STATION) | `nasa:NHQ_2019_0322_NASA ASTRONAUTS WALK IN SPACE OUTSIDE THE SPACE STATION` | Launches & missions, 2019 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [Olympics on the International Space Station](https://images.nasa.gov/details/Olympics%20on%20the%20International%20Space%20Station) | `nasa:Olympics on the International Space Station` | Earth from space, 2024 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women](https://archive.org/details/VoyagetothePlanetofPrehistoricWomen) | `internetarchive:VoyagetothePlanetofPrehistoricWomen` | Space, 1:19:34, 1967 | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [What Do Astronauts Eat In Space?](https://images.nasa.gov/details/What%20Do%20Astronauts%20Eat%20In%20Space) | `nasa:What Do Astronauts Eat In Space` | Launches & missions, 2025 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [First Spaceship on Venus](https://archive.org/details/FirstSpaceshipOnVenusMPEG) | `internetarchive:FirstSpaceshipOnVenusMPEG` | Sun, moon & planets, 1:18:31, 1960 | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [Administrator Bridenstine’s Speech at the Space Symposium](https://images.nasa.gov/details/NHQ_2019_0409_Administrator%20Bridenstine%E2%80%99s%20Speech%20at%20the%20Space%20Symposium) | `nasa:NHQ_2019_0409_Administrator Bridenstine’s Speech at the Space Symposium` | Space, 2019 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [STARGAZER](https://archive.org/details/STARGAZER_201512) | `internetarchive:STARGAZER_201512` | Earth from space | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [The Space Launch System SLS roll out at KSC_MSFC footage](https://images.nasa.gov/details/The%20Space%20Launch%20System%20SLS%20roll%20out%20at%20KSC_MSFC%20footage) | `nasa:The Space Launch System SLS roll out at KSC_MSFC footage` | Launches & missions, 2022 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [Why The Universe Doesn’t Add Up (And How We’re Going To Try To Figure It Out)](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/15112/) | `nasasvs:15112` | Space, 4K, 2026 | NASA Scientific Visualization Studio | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Cheerios/V-8](https://archive.org/details/Cheerios1960) | `internetarchive:Cheerios1960` | Space, Black & white, 1:00, 1960 | Internet Archive | Public domain | Commercial use OK (editorial) | yes |
| [0157_MSFC_360_360Video_Stennis Space Center_B-2 Test Stand shortened 2](https://images.nasa.gov/details/MSFC_360_360Video_Stennis%20Space%20Center_B-2%20Test%20Stand%20shortened%202) | `nasa:MSFC_360_360Video_Stennis Space Center_B-2 Test Stand shortened 2` | Space, 2021 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [Star Odyssey (Italian Star Wars) 1979](https://archive.org/details/StarOdysseyitalianStarWars1979) | `internetarchive:StarOdysseyitalianStarWars1979` | Sun, moon & planets, 1:28:02 | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [What Are the Dangers of Going to Space \| We Asked a NASA Expert](https://images.nasa.gov/details/What%20Are%20the%20Dangers%20of%20Going%20to%20Space) | `nasa:What Are the Dangers of Going to Space` | Space, 2025 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [Lucy Mission Trajectory with Jupiter Trojans and Main Belt Asteroids](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5686/) | `nasasvs:5686` | Sun, moon & planets, Data visualisation, 4K, 60 fps, 2026 | NASA Scientific Visualization Studio | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Starry Sky Time Lapse (Free to Use HD Stock Video Footage)](https://archive.org/details/Starry_Sky_Time_Lapse) | `internetarchive:Starry_Sky_Time_Lapse` | Space, Timelapse | Internet Archive | CC BY 3.0 | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [RNASA Space Awards Gala 2019](https://images.nasa.gov/details/NHQ_2019_0430_RNASA%20Space%20Awards%20Gala%202019.) | `nasa:NHQ_2019_0430_RNASA Space Awards Gala 2019.` | Space, 2019 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [NASA FARMFLUX EARTH VENTURE SUBORBITAL-4](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/15106/) | `nasasvs:15106` | Earth from space, 4K, 2026 | NASA Scientific Visualization Studio | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [NASA Ultra High Definition](https://archive.org/details/NASA-Ultra-High-Definition) | `internetarchive:NASA-Ultra-High-Definition` | Earth from space | Internet Archive | Public domain | Commercial use OK (editorial) | yes |
| [Video File - Russian Space Pioneer Alexei Leonov](https://images.nasa.gov/details/VF_Russian%20Space%20Pioneer%20Alexey%20Leonov) | `nasa:VF_Russian Space Pioneer Alexey Leonov` | Space, 2019 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [Artemis II Saw Impact Flashes on the Far Side of the Moon](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/15103/) | `nasasvs:15103` | Sun, moon & planets, 4K, 2026 | NASA Scientific Visualization Studio | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Stennis Space Center 2018 Overview V5](https://images.nasa.gov/details/SSC_2018%20Stennis%20Space%20Center%20Overview%20V5) | `nasa:SSC_2018 Stennis Space Center Overview V5` | Space, 2020 | NASA Image and Video Library | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit (editorial) | yes |
| [Moonwalk One, ca. 1970](https://archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.1257628) | `internetarchive:gov.archives.arc.1257628` | Launches & missions | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [Dying Star Creates Brand New Planet](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/15102/) | `nasasvs:15102` | Space, 1080p, 2026 | NASA Scientific Visualization Studio | NASA media (public domain in the US) | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Battle Beyond The Sun](https://archive.org/details/BattleBeyondTheSun) | `internetarchive:BattleBeyondTheSun` | Space | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [Cosmos: A Personal Voyage [1980]](https://archive.org/details/cosmos_202209) | `internetarchive:cosmos_202209` | Space, 1980 | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |
| [Challenger Disaster (Standard 4:3)](https://archive.org/details/ChallengerDisaster) | `internetarchive:ChallengerDisaster` | Launches & missions, 2:42, 1986 | Internet Archive | Public domain | Unclear: check the terms (editorial) | yes |

## Questions

**Is NASA space footage free to use?**

NASA media is generally not copyrighted in the US and may be used commercially with credit, as long as you don't use the NASA insignia or imply endorsement. Partner-credited clips need a closer look.

**Why do some space clips look like animations?**

Many are visualisations or artist's concepts rendered from data or mission plans, since cameras can't film most of space directly. They are labelled as animation or visualisation where the source says so.

## Related collections

- [Earth from space videos: orbit views and globes](https://video.shep.bot/footage/earth-from-space-videos.md): Free videos of Earth from space: views from the space station, rotating globes, night lights, weather and auroras from NASA, with credit lines ready.
- [Rocket launch footage: liftoffs and missions](https://video.shep.bot/footage/rocket-launch-footage.md): Free rocket launch videos from NASA and open archives: liftoffs, engine close-ups, tracking shots and historic launches, with credit lines and partner warnings.
- [NASA data visualisations and science animations](https://video.shep.bot/footage/nasa-data-visualizations.md): Free science visualisations from NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio and others: weather, oceans, the Sun and Moon, often 4K at 60 fps.
- [Free motion backgrounds and abstract loops](https://video.shep.bot/footage/free-motion-backgrounds.md): Free motion backgrounds: abstract animations, particles, gradients and data-driven loops for titles, slides, stage screens and websites.

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Source: https://video.shep.bot/footage/free-space-footage