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This project applies to data storage in harsh space environments as referenced in CAN No. 80MSFC18N0001, Section 2.1.5.4, Technologies Supporting Solar and Space Science and Applications - Advanced data archiving.
WORF provides a unique solution for the long-term storage and retrieval of data in space: e.g., ISS, lunar, Mars, probes and deep space gateway, etc. Our project goals and objectives are to provide a permanent data storage system impervious to harsh space environments. WORF is immutable and hack-proof: once data is written and processed on WORF media the flipping of a single bit of digital memory is impossible, enhancing authentication. WORF technology can be used for data storage where long-term or archival integrity is critical, such as geospatial collections from satellites and the deep space gateway program. In this project we propose to develop test media that will validate whether WORF technology will survive all critical parameters for harsh space-based environments including microgravity and ionizing radiation.
WORF stores data as standing waves embedded in a thin, monochromatic, metallic silver emulsion. The data is encoded as different frequencies (colors) in the WORF media. These frequencies cannot fade or degrade since no color dyes are used for storage. Because the standing waveforms can be superimposed, each data storage location, approximately 50 microns in diameter, can store superimposed multiple data bytes, i.e M-ary encoding (beyond binary). Because WORF facilitates multiple data states at distinct memory locations (unlike legacy binary storage media), M-ary encoding may be used to accelerate massively parallel data analytics. Metadata, indexing codes, human-visible images and instructional text can be incorporated on the WORF media along with data if necessary.
CTech will fabricate WORF media specifically for the purposes of this project. The WORF media is a very fine grained (8nm) silver halide 2 to 4 micron thick hardened emulsion applied to microscope sized dimensionally stable borosilicate glass slides. The media will store test pattern squares at specific wavelengths of light. CTech will expose 5 sets of slides, each set having 5 slides with different test patterns stored on each slide. The slides will be processed such that the patterns can be read by a WORF reader at CTech’s lab, using a calibrated Ocean Optics USB 2000 spectrometer. 20 slides (4 sets of 5 slides) will be placed in a suitable container for delivery by NASA to the ISS. The suitable container will be selected collaborating with NASA team members.
The 20 slides will be stored on the ISS, testing WORF media reaction to a space environment, for a period of six months. The slides will then be returned to the ground and delivered to CTech for evaluation. CTech will inspect the media for physical degradation as well as any changes in the test patterns, including comparison to a control set of slides which remained on the ground at CTech’s labs. All results will be documented in a comprehensive report that will be delivered to NASA for review at a close-out meeting. 3 sets of slides will remain at NASA and 2 sets of slides will remain at CTech.
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