Search before you request
FOIA is for existing agency records that are not already public. Check NASA’s website, FOIA e-libraries, Technical Reports Server, History Office, and National Archives first.
NASA FOIA
Freedom of Information Act • 5 U.S.C. § 552
Ask NASA for records—not answers.
A precise request gives the FOIA office a searchable path to the documents you want. Use this field guide to define the records, control fees, submit through the right channel, and follow the response.
Guidance checked against NASA and FOIA.gov • September 12, 2026
REQUEST READINESS5 REQUIRED FIELDS
- 01Contact details
- 02Records described
- 03NASA office or center
- 04Requester fee category
- 05Fee ceiling or waiver
READY WHEN COMPLETE
FOIA CANProvide copies of existing, reasonably described NASA agency records.
FOIA CANNOTRequire NASA to answer questions, analyze data, explain decisions, or create a new record.
The request sequence
Six steps from idea to tracking number.
Specificity is the best practical tool a requester has. It helps NASA identify custodians, run useful searches, estimate fees, and place the request in the appropriate processing track.
Choose the office
Send the request to the NASA component most likely to hold the records. If you are unsure—or need searches across multiple centers—send one request to NASA Headquarters and name every center involved.
Describe records, not questions
Identify record types, missions, programs, offices, custodians, date ranges, report or contract numbers, and precise keywords. NASA does not have to create a new record, conduct research, or answer a question.
State fees clearly
Give your requester category and either a maximum amount you will pay or a supported fee-waiver request. A waiver is based on public benefit—not simply educational intent or inability to pay.
Submit through an official portal
Use NASA’s Public Access Link or FOIA.gov. Include your name, email, mailing address, phone number, detailed record description, fee category, and fee limit or waiver request. Never include a Social Security number.
Track, respond, and refine
Save the acknowledgment and tracking number. Reply promptly if NASA asks for clarification. A narrower search can move faster than a request spanning many custodians, locations, or years.
A successful real-world structure
The STS-51B / STS-51G request, improved.
Your successful request did several important things well: it named two missions, gave exact flight windows, listed specific subject areas, addressed fees, requested cited exemptions for any withholding, and asked for appeal instructions.
For the strongest reusable version, replace “all records” with named record types, likely offices or custodians, a firm date range, and focused search terms. That makes the scope easier to search and price.
Privacy noteThe public example below omits the personal email address and other unnecessary contact details visible in the supplied screenshot.
SUBJECTFOIA Request — STS-51B and STS-51G Mission Records
TONASA Headquarters FOIA Office
SCOPETwo named Space Shuttle missions • April–June 1985
RECORDSMission debriefs, planning records, orbital-tracking records, and defined interagency communications
SEARCH AIDSSTS-51B • STS-51G • Salyut 7 • January–July 1985
FEESCategory stated • waiver requested • advance notice requested
SEARCHABLE STRUCTUREMission + dates + record types + topics
Copy, tailor, verify
Start with a record-focused request.
Delete anything that does not apply, replace every bracketed field, and confirm the current submission requirements on NASA’s official FOIA pages.
Subject: Freedom of Information Act Request — [brief description] To: NASA [Headquarters or Center] FOIA Office Dear FOIA Officer: Under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, I request copies of the following existing agency records: 1. [Specific record type, title, report number, or description] 2. [Specific record type, title, report number, or description] To help locate these records, the relevant details are: • NASA program, mission, office, or contract: [name or number] • Date range: [start date] through [end date] • Likely custodians or offices: [names or offices, if known] • Search terms: [two to five precise keywords] Please provide the records electronically in their native format when readily reproducible. If any portion is withheld, please release all reasonably segregable non-exempt material and identify each exemption relied upon. Fee category: I am a [commercial / educational or non-commercial scientific institution / representative of the news media / other] requester. I am willing to pay up to $[amount] in fees. Please contact me before incurring costs above that amount. [Optional fee-waiver paragraph: Explain specifically how disclosure is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of government operations and why the request is not primarily in your commercial interest.] If this request is too broad, please contact me so I can discuss a practical way to narrow it. Sincerely, [Full name] [Mailing address] [Email address] [Phone number]
Write for the search
Turn a topic into locatable records.
“Send me all information about the Space Shuttle.”
No date range, program office, custodian, mission, record type, or useful search boundary.
“Mission debriefs and contingency-planning memoranda maintained by the Space Shuttle Program concerning STS-51G, dated January 1 through July 31, 1985.”
Names the records, responsible program, mission, subject, and date range.
EMAILEmployee or office, date range, focused keywords
CONTRACTContract number and specific documents requested
REPORTTitle, document ID, author, and publication date
MISSIONMission ID, operational window, office, and record type
Fees without surprises
Name your category. Set a ceiling.
There is no initial filing fee. Charges depend on requester category and the search, review, and duplication work involved. NASA currently says it does not charge when assessable fees are under $50.
A fee waiver needs an argument.Explain how disclosure will significantly improve public understanding of government operations and why the disclosure is not primarily in your commercial interest.
RequesterSearchReviewCopies
CommercialYesYesYes
Education / scienceNoNoAfter 100 pages
News mediaNoNoAfter 100 pages
OtherAfter 2 hoursNoAfter 100 pages
Fee rules have details and exceptions. Check NASA’s current regulations before relying on a category.SUBMITACKNOWLEDGMENTSEARCHREVIEWRELEASE / DENIAL
After you click submitTracking Redactions Appeal
A 20-working-day determination is not a 20-day delivery promise.
FOIA sets a time for the agency’s determination, but complex searches, consultations, backlogs, clarification, fee issues, and “unusual circumstances” can extend actual processing. Targeted requests usually move more quickly than broad ones.
Use the assigned request number when asking the service center about status or narrowing options.
NASA may withhold protected portions under one or more of FOIA’s nine exemptions and should identify the exemption used.
NASA’s current guidance says an administrative appeal may be filed within 90 days. Include the original request, the response, and why the decision should change.
Use an official government channel.
If you do not know which NASA center holds the records, submit one request to Headquarters for routing. Requests for NASA Office of Inspector General records go directly to OIG.
Official references
Verify before submitting.
NASAFOIA Guidance ↗NASAFOIA Contacts ↗U.S. Department of JusticeHow to Make a FOIA Request ↗U.S. Department of JusticeFOIA Frequently Asked Questions ↗eCFRNASA FOIA Regulations, 14 CFR Part 1206 ↗
This independent educational guide is not legal advice and is not an official NASA publication. Rules, contacts, portals, and fees can change.