API v1 (Legacy)

Drop-in replacement for the archived NASA Mars Rover API.

Recommendation: Use API v2

API v1 exists for compatibility with existing integrations. For new projects, use API v2 for more features:

Multiple image sizes (small, medium, large, full)
Mars time and location queries
Camera angle filtering
Rich metadata and telemetry

Overview

API v1 mirrors the original mars-photo-api (now archived). If you have existing code using that API, you can switch to Mars Vista with minimal changes.

The main difference: Mars Vista requires authentication via the X-API-Key header.

Endpoints

Get Photos by Sol

GET /api/v1/rovers/{rover}/photos?sol={sol}

curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://api.marsvista.dev/api/v1/rovers/curiosity/photos?sol=1000"

Get Photos by Earth Date

GET /api/v1/rovers/{rover}/photos?earth_date={date}

curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://api.marsvista.dev/api/v1/rovers/curiosity/photos?earth_date=2015-05-30"

Filter by Camera

curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://api.marsvista.dev/api/v1/rovers/curiosity/photos?sol=1000&camera=fhaz"

Pagination

curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://api.marsvista.dev/api/v1/rovers/curiosity/photos?sol=1000&page=2"

Response Format

{
  "photos": [
    {
      "id": 102693,
      "sol": 1000,
      "camera": {
        "id": 20,
        "name": "FHAZ",
        "rover_id": 5,
        "full_name": "Front Hazard Avoidance Camera"
      },
      "img_src": "https://mars.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/...",
      "earth_date": "2015-05-30",
      "rover": {
        "id": 5,
        "name": "Curiosity",
        "landing_date": "2012-08-06",
        "launch_date": "2011-11-26",
        "status": "active"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Rover Information

List All Rovers

curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://api.marsvista.dev/api/v1/rovers"

Get Rover Manifest

Get mission information including available sols:

curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://api.marsvista.dev/api/v1/manifests/curiosity"

Migration from Original API

If you're migrating from api.nasa.gov/mars-photos:

1. Update Base URL

// Old
https://api.nasa.gov/mars-photos/api/v1/rovers/curiosity/photos

// New
https://api.marsvista.dev/api/v1/rovers/curiosity/photos

2. Switch from api_key param to X-API-Key header

// Old
curl "...?api_key=DEMO_KEY"

// New
curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" "..."

3. Get Your API Key

Ready to Upgrade to v2?

API v2 offers powerful features not available in v1:

Multiple image sizes for progressive loading
Mars time and golden hour filtering
Location-based queries and journey tracking
Camera angle and panorama detection
Full NASA metadata (100% vs v1's 5%)

Get Started with v2 →