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Space Data Centers: O-RAID Secures Orbital Data
16 Dec
Summary
- Satellites can now act as distributed storage, creating a 'constellation-level RAID'.
- O-RAID architecture ensures data survival even if individual satellites fail.
- Lunar data centers could orbit the Moon, avoiding risky surface landings.
Low Earth orbit is rapidly expanding with a new focus on space data centers, moving beyond simple communication relays. Initiatives are now deploying significant processing power in orbit, leading to a critical need for robust data resilience. Traditional methods like RAID are impossible on single satellites due to physical limitations.
A new "Orbital Redundant Array of Independent Devices" (O-RAID) architecture proposes treating entire satellite constellations as storage mediums. By distributing data fragments and parity across neighboring satellites via inter-satellite links, O-RAID ensures data can be mathematically reconstructed on the fly, even if individual satellites fail.
This resilience is vital for the burgeoning lunar economy, suggesting Geostationary Moon Orbit data centers. These orbital facilities would service lunar assets without the extreme risks and costs of landing sensitive server equipment, representing a significant leap in space infrastructure.
