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community weblog
NASA has a free online repository of Science E-books
Books can be found here, text list inside full post Science e-Books. From Earth and the other planets in our solar system, to supermassive black holes and the distant galaxies that contain them, explore NASA science and imagery through our library of e-books.
Every text can (currently) be downloaded for free in either PDF or EPub format.
No signups or email address required, just lick the link and download the required text(s).
Astrophysics:
- Black Holes: Into the Vortex
- Reshaping Our Cosmic View
- Our High-Energy Universe
- Dark Universe
- The Lives of Stars
- Galaxies through Space and Time
Earth:
- Earth
- Earth at Night
- Landsat: Benefiting Society for Fifty years
- Landsat: Continuing to Improve Everyday Life
- Earth as Art
History:
- Not Yet Imagined: A Study of Hubble Space Telescope Operations
- Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016
- Making the Invisible Visible: A History of the Spitzer Infrared Telescope Facility (1971–2003)
- When Biospheres Collide: A History of NASA's Planetary Protection Programs
Planets:
- NASA'S Discovery Program: The First Twenty Years of Competitive Planetary Exploration
- Strange New Worlds
- The Saturn System: Through the Eyes of Cassini
- Our Amazing Solar System
International Space Station Researcher's Guides:
- Acceleration Environment
- Cellular Biology
- Combustion Science
- Earth Observations
- Fluid Physics
- Fruit Fly Research
- GeneLab
- Human Research
- Microbial Research
- Microgravity Materials Research
- Plant Science
- Rodent Research
- Space Environmental Effects
- Technology Demonstration
Image Books:
- Hubble's Beautiful Universe
Enjoy.
posted by Faintdreams on Dec 05, 2025 at 6:05 AM
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Black Holes: Into the Vortex
Finally!
posted by y2karl at 6:20 AM
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There's even more of them, found here. I also like their book on Bush I's doomed Space Exploration Initiative, which I can't find listed on either page but is directly linked to the PDF here.
posted by Quindar Beep at 9:13 AM
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Thank you for the post - they really are an example of what the agency was capable of. For a more academic report/paper focused resource, you can also go to the Technical Reports Server, which has not just metadata for an enormous number of publications - often in full PDF download, with no login required either (as long as you choose the public access documents). Many of the NTRS's technical reports from decades ago are just amazing; I used to have a few on my shelf until I needed to shred them before I fled the country.
Was being the operative word. Our Flight Project librarian had to leave when her job was cut earlier this year, and I'm sure these repositories have been scrubbed for DEI content.
I feel like the whole site - really, all the NASA sites - are darker now - more drab. Like the colors were all sucked out. So much life, and so much energy, drained away. Ever since they banned the rainbows and the pronouns, and turned so many talented scientists and engineers out onto the street.
I wear a rainbow colored lanyard at my new job now, where so many of my coworkers do as well, with my pronouns proudly displayed on my profile. We will carry the dream forward until NASA finds its way once again.
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 11:06 AM
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