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JPL Close Approach vs NASA APOD

Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.

APIJPL Close ApproachUNMONITORED—NASA APODHEALTHY—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearyes
Data licenseUnverifiedPublic domain (US Gov)
Free tierFree — limits not published1,000 req/hour with free key
Rate limitUnpublishedDEMO_KEY: 30/hour, 50/day
In directory since2026-07-052026-05-02
operationalpartialdownno data

JPL Close Approach vs NASA APOD: common questions

Which is more reliable, JPL Close Approach or NASA APOD?

Only NASA APOD is on our probe schedule so far (—% uptime over 90 days). The other is catalogued but not yet live-checked, so we can't compare measured reliability head-to-head — check the uncovered API's own status page for now.

Do JPL Close Approach and NASA APOD need an API key?

JPL Close Approach needs no key, while NASA APOD requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for JPL Close Approach first.

Can I call JPL Close Approach and NASA APOD from the browser?

Only NASA APOD is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. JPL Close Approach needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are JPL Close Approach and NASA APOD free for commercial use?

JPL Close Approach has unclear commercial terms, and NASA APOD allows commercial use on its free tier. We track service terms and the data license as separate fields — see the Commercial use and Data license rows above, and confirm both before shipping either in a paid product.