Overview
This node allows users to retrieve photos taken by NASA's Mars Rovers. Specifically, it fetches images captured by one of the four Mars rovers—Curiosity, Opportunity, Perseverance, or Spirit—on a specified Earth date. This is useful for space enthusiasts, educators, researchers, or developers who want to integrate authentic Mars rover imagery into their workflows, presentations, or applications.
Practical examples include:
- Displaying the latest Mars rover photos in an educational dashboard.
- Archiving daily Mars surface images for scientific analysis.
- Creating automated social media posts featuring Mars exploration photos.
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 the Mars rover photos. Must be provided in date format |
Output
The node outputs JSON data containing the Mars rover photos retrieved from NASA's API for the specified rover and date. The structure typically includes metadata about each photo such as the image URL, camera details, rover status, and the date the photo was taken on Mars.
If binary data output were supported, it would represent the actual image files; however, this node returns metadata and URLs only.
Dependencies
- Requires an API key credential for NASA's public API.
- The node makes HTTP GET requests to NASA's Mars Photos API endpoint at
https://api.nasa.gov/mars-photos/api/v1/rovers/{roverName}/photos. - The user must configure the node with a valid NASA API key credential to authenticate requests.
Troubleshooting
- No photos returned: If no photos are found for the selected rover and date, verify that the date is within the operational period of the chosen rover and that photos exist for that day.
- Invalid date format: Ensure the date input is correctly formatted; the node converts the date to ISO string format (YYYY-MM-DD).
- API quota exceeded or authentication errors: Check that the NASA API key is valid and has not exceeded its usage limits.
- Network issues: Confirm internet connectivity and that the NASA API endpoint is reachable.