NASA design system

---
version: alpha
name: NASA
description: "Dark interface measured from nasa.gov: inter type with Public Sans Web, red accents, tonal surfaces and pill-shaped controls."
colors:
  background: "#000000"
  surface: "#000000"
  on-surface: "#FFFFFF"
  on-background: "#FFFFFF"
  on-surface-variant: "#B9B9BB"
  on-surface-muted: "#58585B"
  surface-container-low: "#17171B"
  surface-container: "#2E2E32"
  primary: "#D83933"
  on-primary: "#FFFFFF"
  secondary: "#F64137"
typography:
  headline-display:
    fontFamily: inter
    fontSize: 48px
    fontWeight: 700
    lineHeight: 0.95
  headline-lg:
    fontFamily: inter
    fontSize: 40px
    fontWeight: 700
    lineHeight: 1
  headline-md:
    fontFamily: inter
    fontSize: 29px
    fontWeight: 700
    lineHeight: 1.05
  headline-sm:
    fontFamily: inter
    fontSize: 22.5px
    fontWeight: 700
    lineHeight: 1
  body-md:
    fontFamily: inter
    fontSize: 16px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 1.15
  body-lg:
    fontFamily: inter
    fontSize: 17.5px
    fontWeight: 600
    lineHeight: 1.2
  body-sm:
    fontFamily: Public Sans Web
    fontSize: 14.5px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 1.2
  label-md:
    fontFamily: inter
    fontSize: 16px
    fontWeight: 600
    lineHeight: 1
  label-sm:
    fontFamily: Public Sans Web
    fontSize: 14px
    fontWeight: 700
    lineHeight: 1.25
  code:
    fontFamily: dm-mono
    fontSize: 11px
    fontWeight: 500
    lineHeight: 1
    letterSpacing: 0.313em
  headline-lg-mobile:
    fontFamily: inter
    fontSize: 24px
    fontWeight: 700
    lineHeight: 1
  headline-md-mobile:
    fontFamily: inter
    fontSize: 22px
    fontWeight: 700
    lineHeight: 1.05
rounded:
  md: 4px
  full: 9999px
spacing:
  xs: 4px
  sm: 8px
  md: 16px
  lg: 24px
  xl: 40px
  section: 56px
  margin: 16px
components:
  button-primary:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.primary}"
    textColor: "{colors.on-primary}"
    typography: "{typography.headline-sm}"
    rounded: "{rounded.md}"
    padding: 12px 20px
    height: 46px
  button-secondary:
    backgroundColor: "#4E4E4E"
    textColor: "{colors.background}"
    typography: "{typography.body-md}"
    padding: 0px
    height: 50px
  button-ghost:
    textColor: "#565C65"
    typography: "{typography.body-sm}"
    rounded: 0px
    padding: 16px
  input-field:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.background}"
    textColor: "{colors.on-surface}"
    rounded: 0px
    padding: 0px 8px
  card:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-container-low}"
    textColor: "#1B1B1B"
    typography: "{typography.body-md}"
    rounded: 0px
    padding: 72px 0px
  link:
    textColor: "{colors.on-surface}"
---

# NASA Design System

## Overview

NASA describes itself as: “NASA.gov brings you the latest news, images and videos from America's space agency, pioneering the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.” The interface is dark, built on **Near Black (#000000)** with **White (#FFFFFF)** text, and **Red (#D83933)** as the main accent.

Type is set in **inter** and **Public Sans Web**, with **dm-mono** for code. Headlines run large; body text is 16px. The surface language is flat. Controls are pill-shaped.

Measured from [nasa.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/) on November 5, 2026 at 1440×900 and 390×844 from 390 rendered elements. Values are computed styles from the live page, not the original source files.

## Colors

The palette has 9 roles.

- **Near Black (#000000):** Page background, seen 4 times. Token `background`.
- **White (#FFFFFF):** Primary text and headings, seen 68 times. Token `on-surface`.
- **Silver (#B9B9BB):** Secondary text, seen 12 times. Token `on-surface-variant`.
- **Slate (#58585B):** Muted text and metadata, seen 4 times. Token `on-surface-muted`.
- **Charcoal (#17171B):** Raised areas one step from the page, seen 1 time. Token `surface-container-low`.
- **Graphite (#2E2E32):** Cards and panels, seen 4 times. Token `surface-container`.
- **Red (#D83933):** Primary buttons and calls to action, seen 1 time. Token `primary`.
- **White (#FFFFFF):** Text and icons on primary. Token `on-primary`.
- **Vivid Red (#F64137):** Accent in text, fills and borders, seen 22 times. Token `secondary`.

## Typography

**inter**, **Public Sans Web** and **dm-mono** (monospace) share the interface. Fallback stack: `inter, sans-serif`. Other loaded fonts: Inter.

- **headline-display:** inter 48px at weight 700, line height 0.95. Page title (h1).
- **headline-lg:** inter 40px at weight 700, line height 1 (24px on mobile). Section headings (h2).
- **headline-md:** inter 29px at weight 700, line height 1.05 (22px on mobile). Sub-section headings.
- **headline-sm:** inter 22.5px at weight 700, line height 1. Card and feature titles.
- **body-md:** inter 16px at weight 400, line height 1.15. Body text.
- **body-lg:** inter 17.5px at weight 600, line height 1.2. Lead paragraphs.
- **body-sm:** Public Sans Web 14.5px at weight 400, line height 1.2. Secondary and small text.
- **label-md:** inter 16px at weight 600, line height 1. Buttons, navigation and labels.
- **label-sm:** Public Sans Web 14px at weight 700, line height 1.25. Small labels and badges.
- **code:** dm-mono 11px at weight 500, line height 1, tracking 0.313em. Code and technical values.

## Layout

Spacing is mostly on a 4px grid (73% of measured values), with some off-grid steps. Match the measured scale rather than rounding everything.

- **Scale:** xs 4px, sm 8px, md 16px, lg 24px, xl 40px.
- **Sections:** 56px vertical padding between major sections.
- **Page margin:** 16px on each side of full-width sections.
- **Breakpoints:** 576px, 600px, 767px, 800px.

## Elevation & Depth

The design is flat: no shadows were measured. Hierarchy comes from tonal surface steps (#17171B → #2E2E32).

## Shapes

Interactive controls are pill-shaped. Measured radii, most used first:

- **full (9999px):** 24 elements.
- **md (4px):** 4 elements.

## Components

Measured from the rendered page. Token values reference the tokens above.

- **button-primary (“NASA Missions”):** #D83933 fill, #FFFFFF text, 22.08px/700, 4px radius, padding 12px 20px.
- **button-secondary (“Pause slideshow”):** #4E4E4E fill, #000000 text, 16px/400, 50% radius, padding 0px.
- **button-ghost (“Explore”):** transparent fill, #565C65 text, 14.08px/400, padding 16px.
- **input-field (“Search”):** #000000 fill, #FFFFFF text, 15.04px/400, padding 0px 8px, border 1px solid #565C65.
- **card:** #17171B fill, #1B1B1B text, 16px/400, padding 72px 0px.
- **link:** transparent fill, #FFFFFF text, padding 0px.

## Do's and Don'ts

- Do use #000000 for the page and lift surfaces in small steps: #17171B, #2E2E32.
- Do keep text in 3 levels: #FFFFFF, #B9B9BB, #58585B.
- Do reserve #D83933 for primary actions and key highlights.
- Do reuse the measured spacing steps (8px, 16px, 24px).
- Do make buttons and chips fully rounded (9999px); most other elements use 4px corners.
- Don't use #58585B for body text; it reaches 2.96:1 on #000000. Keep it for large text or metadata.
- Don't add drop shadows for depth; use tonal surfaces.
- Don't introduce new font families beyond inter, Public Sans Web and dm-mono.
- Don't use #D83933 for large backgrounds or body text.
- Don't make interface transitions slower than 0.2s.

## Motion

Interface transitions are quick: 0.2s. Longer ambient animations run 14s.

- **Easing:** `ease`, `linear`.

Generated by [Sitepeel](https://sitepeel.dev/design-md/nasa.gov/), the free DESIGN.md generator (engine 2026.10.29+b828a475ee10).