Frequently Asked Questions


Will the discs play on any computer?


Because of the large number of images on each disc and their high resolution, we use DVD-R data discs which easily accommodate the large volume. These discs will play on any computer equipped with a DVD disc drive. Most computers manufactured since 2004 have this option. The discs will NOT play on a standard DVD player or a CD-ROM disc drive.


Can I make 8x10 prints from the images?


Yes. The files on the discs are large enough to easily accommodate this.


Is there a copyright on the images?


The great majority of the images originate with NASA photographers. NASA, as a US government agency, does not assert copyright over its released images. There are however, many images from NASA contractors and private sources as well. Please keep that in mind.


Where does the source material come from?


We have been building a large private archive of NASA-related photos since 1974. Our current inventory of original prints numbers in the 70,000 range. These color and black-and-white photos have been acquired from a wide variety of sources over more than 35 years, and at varying cost. This inventory does not include a seemingly endless number of digital images as well, which we began adding to the archive in recent years.


How are the images presented on the discs?


The prints, transparencies and negatives are pulled from files and scanned at 300 or higher DPI. Each image is then processed for dust and speck removal, and exposure or color correction when necessary. The objective is to provide the best copy of that particular image available from any source, and to present it in the correct chronological order.


How do you find so many rare images?


NASA photographers may have literally snapped a million photos during the agency's half century. Unfortunately, the media, book publishers and even most space-related Web sites seem content to repeatedly recycle several hundred of the same images. We accessed the photo archives at several NASA centers to identify as many of these never-before-released photos as possible and record their individual photo numbers. This information enabled us to order prints to expand our collection. We have also acquired many photos from a number of other private sources.


What discs will be available in the future?


Discs will eventually be produced for all remaining flights from Mercury through the Shuttle program. Other discs will cover development and unmanned missions of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Sets covering 1960s and 1970s unmanned spacecraft are also under consideration, as are disc sets on facilities at KSC/Cape Canaveral and Manned Spacecraft/Johnson Space Center.