Space data storage systems and technologies

The acquisition and transmission from space to Earth of data is the central part of many space missions. A data storage subsystem, based on a data storage technology, is typically used to buffer data from the spacecraft and its instruments before data are returned to Earth. Because of requirements, constraints, and the design of the mission, the selection of the appropriate data storage technology for this function is based on many considerations, such as reliability, readiness, availability, mass, volume, power consumption, capacity, data rate, nonvolatility, environmental stability, radiation insensitivity, vibration insensitivity, data management flexibility, and cost, among others. Issues are reviewed for space data storage technologies, including magnetic tape recording and solid-state memories, for past, present, and future missions, such as Voyager, Cassini, and Pluto Flyby