Overview
This node retrieves photos taken by NASA's Mars Rovers on a specified Earth date. It is useful for space enthusiasts, educators, researchers, or developers who want to access and display authentic Mars surface images captured by different rovers. For example, you can use this node to fetch the latest photos from the Curiosity rover for a given date to analyze Martian terrain or create educational content.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Rover Name | Choose which Mars Rover to get a photo from. Options: Curiosity, Opportunity, Perseverance, Spirit |
| Date | The Earth date for which to retrieve Mars Rover photos. The date is formatted as YYYY-MM-DD |
Output
The node outputs JSON data containing an array of photos taken by the selected Mars Rover on the specified Earth date. Each photo object typically includes metadata such as the image URL, camera details, and the date the photo was taken on Mars. This allows downstream nodes or workflows to process, display, or store these images. The node does not output binary data directly but provides URLs to the images.
Dependencies
- Requires access to NASA's public API endpoint at
https://api.nasa.gov/mars-photos/api/v1/rovers/{roverName}/photos. - Optionally supports using an API key credential for NASA's API if configured in n8n, though it is not mandatory.
- No additional external dependencies are required.
Troubleshooting
- No photos returned: If no photos are found for the chosen rover and date, verify that the date is valid and that the rover was operational on that date.
- Invalid date format: Ensure the date input is correctly formatted; the node converts it to ISO date format (YYYY-MM-DD).
- API rate limits or errors: If the NASA API returns errors due to rate limiting or invalid credentials, check your API key configuration or try again later.
- Network issues: Confirm that your environment has internet access to reach NASA's API endpoints.