As a NASA project, the images are government owned and therefore public domain.
Works created directly by the federal government are in the public domain. Works created for the government by contractors or works acquired by the federal government can be copyrighted. (And not that it applies here, but works created by state governments can also be copyrighted.)
That's the law as I understand it. I agree it's insane for stuff like this to be copyrighted; it makes no sense to give copyright protection to works funded by and for the public.
Works created directly by the federal government are in the public domain. Works created for the government by contractors or works acquired by the federal government can be copyrighted. (And not that it applies here, but works created by state governments can also be copyrighted.)
That's the law as I understand it. I agree it's insane for stuff like this to be copyrighted; it makes no sense to give copyright protection to works funded by and for the public.