Press

The book

TitleThe NASA Photo Book. From NASA's Early Flights to Artemis
AuthorsJoel Meter and Simon Phillipson
PublisherteNeues
FormatHardcover, 252 by 336 mm (9.9 by 13.2 in)
Extent336 pages, more than 340 photographs
LanguageEnglish

The book tells NASA's story in photographs, from its first flights to Artemis II, in ten eras, each built around a new way of seeing. Every photograph was restored by the authors from the best surviving source, the original film scans where they exist and the raw mission data where they do not. Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson are also the co-authors of Apollo VII–XVII and VOYAGER: Photographs from Humanity's Greatest Journey. For the structure of the book, see the ten eras, and for some of the best known photographs in it, the most famous NASA photographs, era by era.

Press images

Sixteen photographs from the book, shown here at web size. High resolution files are available on request.

Earth setting behind the cratered lunar horizon, photographed through an Orion window during Artemis II on 6 April 2026 — Earthset. Artemis II, 6 April 2026. Photo: NASA, Artemis II crew. Frame ART002E009288. Restored from the original mission data by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, pages 310 to 331.

A thin crescent Earth on the curved limb of the Moon, seen from Orion as the Artemis II crew flew around the far side — Earth on the Moon's limb. Artemis II, 6 April 2026. Photo: NASA, Artemis II crew. Frame ART002E009287. Restored from the original mission data by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, pages 310 to 331.

The dark disc of the Moon covering the Sun, ringed by a soft glow, photographed from Orion during Artemis II — The Moon in front of the Sun. Artemis II, 6 April 2026. Photo: NASA, Artemis II crew. Frame ART002E015967. Restored from the original mission data by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, pages 310 to 331.

Christina Koch in silhouette at an Orion cabin window, looking back at the blue and white Earth on the way to the Moon — Christina Koch in the window. Artemis II, April 2026. Photo: NASA, Artemis II crew. Frame ART002E008487. Editorial use only. The NASA Photo Book, pages 310 to 331.

Victor Glover and Christina Koch sharing one Orion window in the dark cabin on the day of the lunar flyby — Koch and Glover at the window. Artemis II, 6 April 2026. Photo: NASA, Artemis II crew. Frame ART002E025880. Editorial use only. The NASA Photo Book, pages 310 to 331.

Grainy black and white view of the curved Earth under the black of space, taken from a V-2 rocket above New Mexico in 1946 — The first photograph of Earth from space. V-2 No. 13, 24 October 1946. Photo: U.S. Army, White Sands Missile Range. Restored by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, pages 25 to 27.

Ed White floating outside Gemini 4 on a gold-wrapped tether, a handheld oxygen gun in his right hand and clouds below — Ed White, the first American spacewalk. Gemini 4, 3 June 1965. Photo: NASA, James McDivitt. Frame S65-34635. Restored from the original film scan by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, page 53.

Buzz Aldrin backing down the ladder of the lunar module Eagle, its gold foil legs resting on the grey surface — Buzz Aldrin on the porch of Eagle. Apollo 11, 20 July 1969. Photo: NASA, Neil Armstrong. Frame AS11-40-5866. Restored from the original film scan by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, pages 86 to 95.

Edward Gibson waving from a round hatch in the white Skylab airlock module, surrounded by hoses, cables and stowed gear — Edward Gibson in the airlock hatch. Skylab 4, February 1974. Photo: NASA. Frame SL4-150-5074. Restored from the original film scan by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, pages 112 to 117.

Space Shuttle Challenger standing upright in a thick bank of fog at Kennedy Space Center, the gantry top just showing — Challenger rolling out in fog. Kennedy Space Center, 30 November 1982. Photo: NASA. Frame KSC-82PC-1325. Restored from the original film scan by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, pages 119 to 127.

Fisheye view of the nose of Space Shuttle Atlantis docked to Mir, a curved blue Earth filling the frame behind it — Atlantis docked to Mir. STS-71, July 1995. Photo: NASA. Frame STS071-741-004. Restored from the original film scan by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, page 130.

Bruce McCandless in a white spacesuit and jet backpack, alone against black space above the blue curve of Earth — Bruce McCandless flies free. STS-41B, 7 February 1984. Photo: NASA, Robert Gibson. Frame STS41B-35-1613. Restored from the original film scan by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, cover and page 124.

Swirling brown, cream and blue cloud bands around the oval of Jupiter's Great Red Spot, seen by Voyager 1 — Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Voyager 1, February 1979. Photo: NASA/JPL. Image PIA01384. Restored from the original mission data by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, pages 158 to 164.

The Curiosity rover photographing itself beside the dark rippled sand of Namib Dune under a dusty Martian sky — Curiosity beside Namib Dune. Mars, 19 January 2016. Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS. Image PIA20316. Restored from the original mission data by Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson. The NASA Photo Book, page 226.

Pluto as a full disc in enhanced colour, pale and reddish terrain, photographed by New Horizons on 14 July 2015 — Pluto, seen up close. New Horizons, 14 July 2015. Photo: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI. Image PIA19952, enhanced colour. The NASA Photo Book, page 259.

Bright young stars above towering orange and brown clouds of gas and dust in Pismis 24, seen by the Webb telescope — Pismis 24 in the Lobster Nebula. James Webb Space Telescope, released 4 September 2025. Credit NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI, A. Pagan (STScI), CC BY 4.0, ESA/Webb, processing The NASA Photo Book. Image weic2518a. The NASA Photo Book, pages 304 to 308.

Usage

These photographs are supplied for editorial use in coverage of The NASA Photo Book (teNeues).

Credit each image as "Photo: NASA. From The NASA Photo Book, teNeues." Where another credit applies, it replaces NASA, as given under each image above.
Pismis 24 (image 16) is credited "Photo: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. From The NASA Photo Book, teNeues."
The two photographs of the Artemis II crew at the Orion window (images 04 and 05) are for editorial use in coverage of the book only, not for advertising or merchandise.
The original NASA photographs are public domain. The restored versions are the work of the authors. Please do not reuse them outside coverage of the book without permission, and do not use them in advertising.
Online, we would be grateful for a link to this site with the credit.

Cover and renders

The cover of The NASA Photo Book, Bruce McCandless flying free above the blue curve of Earth, with silver foil lettering — The cover. Bruce McCandless, STS-41B, 7 February 1984. Photo: NASA, Robert Gibson.

A render of The NASA Photo Book, the large hardcover with its dark cover and silver foil title — The book. Hardcover, 252 by 336 mm, 336 pages.

Spreads from across The NASA Photo Book laid out flat, from Apollo to Webb — Spreads from across the book, from Apollo to Webb.

Contact

Joel Meter and Simon Phillipson, Amsterdam. [email protected]. Interviews in English. For high resolution files, please write with the name of the publication.