How to Use the NASA MCP in Windsurf

Q: How do I install the NASA MCP server in Windsurf?

Open the MCP Servers UI under Settings, or edit /.codeium/windsurf/mcpconfig.json. Add the connection details and click Refresh. Cascade will auto-discover the endpoints immediately.

Bring NASA's massive public data archives directly into Windsurf to build space-aware apps without leaving your editor.

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Connect NASA MCP to Windsurf

Create your Vinkius account to connect NASA to Windsurf 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 Windsurf

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Explore planetary visuals with Windsurf

The `get_apod` and `search_nasa_library` tools give your agent direct access to decades of space photography. Cascade can pull the daily astronomy picture or query the massive media archive by keyword, instantly bringing those assets into your current project. You do not have to manually download or format these images. Windsurf reads the returned URLs, titles, and explanations, then writes the necessary code to display them in your application's UI components.

Pull live rover and satellite telemetry

Tools like `get_mars_photos`, `get_mars_rovers`, and `get_earth_imagery` expose raw planetary observation data. Your agent can check which rovers are active on Mars or pull satellite imagery of Earth based on specific longitude and latitude coordinates. Cascade handles the multi-step logic autonomously. If you ask it to build a dashboard tracking Curiosity's latest movements, it figures out the required camera filters and sol dates without asking for permission.

Track asteroids and patents via MCP Server

The `get_neo_feed` and `search_patents` tools supply real-time hazard data and commercial technology transfers. You can track near-Earth objects by date range or search for government patents available for public licensing. This turns your IDE into a research terminal. Instead of browsing scattered federal websites, you just tell your client what you are looking for, and it formats the asteroid velocities or patent abstracts right in your workspace.

Setup guide

Set up NASA MCP in Windsurf

Prerequisites

Windsurf IDE installed (macOS, Windows, or Linux)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open MCP configuration

Click the Cascade assistant icon in the sidebar, then click the hammer icon (🔨) at the top of the panel. Select "Configure" to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.
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

Refresh MCPs

Go back to the hammer icon (🔨) in Cascade and click "Refresh". Windsurf will detect the new server. No full restart is needed — the connection is hot-reloaded.
4

Verify in Cascade

Start a new Cascade conversation and ask something like "Show my NASA payment history." If connected, Cascade will call the NASA tools directly. You will see a green dot next to the server name in the MCP panel.

mcp_config.json

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

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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 Windsurf

Open the MCP Servers UI under Settings, or edit `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`. Add the connection details and click Refresh. Cascade will auto-discover the endpoints immediately.

Yes, Cascade can call the endpoint without any date parameters. It will grab today's image, copyright, and explanation, then inject it directly into your codebase.

The underlying federal endpoint typically caps at 1,000 requests per hour per IP. If you hit this limit, your agent will receive a rate limit error and stop fetching data.

You can absolutely access this. The integration lets your agent pull Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera shots by date, choosing between enhanced or natural color.

This integration only reads public federal records like planetary coordinates, asteroid velocities, and patent abstracts. Windsurf sends your specific query parameters to the endpoint, but no local project code ever leaves your machine.

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