OPTICAL DRUM FOR SPACE AND GROUND APPLICATIONS

THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO DEFINE THE DESIGN ENVELOPE FOR AN OPTICAL DRUM STORAGE DEVICE UTILIZING PHASE CHANGE OPTICAL MEDIA. MEDIA DEVELOPMENT HAS PROGRESSED SATISFACTORILY, ANDESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEASIBILITY OF THE MECHANICAL DESIGN OFA DRUM EMPLOYING THIS MEDIA WOULD CREATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSTRUCT AN ENGINEERING MODEL IN A SUBSEQUENT PHASE. THE UNIQUE MECHANICAL DESIGN PROPOSED FOR THE DRUM HAS MANY BENEFITS, INCLUDING STABILITY, COMPACTNESS, AND RUGGEDNESS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT DEVICE USE IN EITHER GROUND-BASED OR SPACECRAFT APPLICATIONS. THE PROPOSED CONFIGURATION WILL HAVE A MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF 53 GIGABYTES AND AN ACCESS TIME BELOW 6 MILLISECONDS. THE PROJECTED PHYSICAL VOLUME OF THE PROPOSED DEVICE IS THOUGHT TO BE APPROXIMATELY ONE CUBIC FOOT. FUNDING OF THIS EFFORT IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN THE CREATION OF A NEW CLASS OF HIGH PERFORMANCE STORAGE DEVICES USING LOW COST OPTICAL MEDIA.