How to Use the NASA MCP in Claude Code

Q: How do I install the NASA server in Claude Code?

Run claude mcp add --transport http nasa -- in your terminal. Ensure all flags come before the server name, then verify the installation by running claude mcp list.

Pipe NASA data directly into your terminal with Claude Code to automate space telemetry scripts and CI/CD pipelines.

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Connect NASA MCP to Claude Code

Create your Vinkius account to connect NASA to Claude Code and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup NASA with Claude Code

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Automate daily space imagery scripts

The `get_apod` and `get_earth_imagery` tools let your CLI agent fetch the astronomy picture of the day or specific satellite coordinates. This runs entirely headless in your terminal without any browser interactions. You can set up a cron job that triggers Claude Code every morning. The agent pulls the latest image URL and explanation, then automatically pipes that data into a Slack webhook or a static site generator.

Track asteroids from the command line

Tools like `get_neo_feed` and `get_tech_transfer` expose live hazard tracking and federal patent databases directly to your shell. Your agent can query a specific date range and return the exact velocity of near-Earth objects. SREs and backend developers can use this to build automated alerts. If an asteroid is flagged as potentially hazardous, the CLI can parse the JSON response and execute a script to log the event.

Query the NASA MCP Server via CLI

The `search_nasa_library` and `get_mars_photos` tools provide terminal access to the entire federal media archive. You can filter rover photos by camera type or search the library for specific audio files. Claude Code handles the pagination and filtering natively. Ask it to download all front hazard camera shots from a specific sol date, and it will write the bash script to pull every single image.

Setup guide

Set up NASA MCP in Claude Code

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Run the add command

Open your terminal and run the command shown on the right. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com. Use --scope user to make it available across all projects.
2

Verify the connection

Start a Claude Code session and type /mcp to list connected servers. You should see nasa-mcp with a green status indicator.
3

Start using tools

Ask Claude Code something like "Check my latest NASA transactions." It will automatically discover and invoke the available NASA tools.

Terminal

claude mcp add --transport http nasa-mcp https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

Get your connection token →

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open the config file

Create or edit .mcp.json in your project root for project-level scope, or ~/.claude.json for user-level scope.
2

Add the NASA MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Code

Start a new Claude Code session. Type /mcp to confirm the server is connected. The tools will be automatically available in your conversation.

.mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nasa-mcp": {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by NASA. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about NASA MCP in Claude Code

Run `claude mcp add --transport http nasa -- ` in your terminal. Ensure all flags come before the server name, then verify the installation by running `claude mcp list`.

Yes. Because this client is completely headless, you can trigger it within any CI/CD pipeline to fetch daily imagery or monitor the NEO feed.

The endpoint returns structured JSON containing image, video, or audio URLs. It also includes center information, titles, and descriptions for each matching asset.

The agent uses the tech transfer tool to filter results by software or patent categories. It can then output the contact information and availability status directly to standard out.

Your local environment is completely isolated from the external request. The integration only transmits the specific arguments required by the federal endpoints, such as Earth dates or rover camera names, keeping your system secure.

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