One Small Step For Man… One Giant Leap In The Importance Of Great Data Storage!

At least it is for NASA, who saw the original Apollo 11 video tapes sell for $1.8m at Sotheby's New York, as part of the 50th anniversary of the lunar mission.

Except the tapes weren't NASA’s to sell! They had been bought by a former agency intern Gary George in 1976 for just $218.

George, now 65, estimates he sold 8 tapes for around $50 each to broadcasters, but it was his father who pointed out the labels 'APOLLO 11 EVA' (Extra Vehicular Activity), and the potential value they could have. George explained.

"Dad was really into the space program and he said, 'I think I'd hang on to those. They might be valuable someday.' So, for that very reason, I pulled them out and hauled them around the country for the next 43 years. That’s how come they survived."

This opens an important debate about data storage and retention. Not only have NASA missed out on any commercial benefit from the tapes, they've also lost an iconic bit of heritage. The original recordings of the first moon landing, one of the most defining moments in human history, deemed surplus. Let that sink in.

Obviously, you need to have multiple copies but be it hard drive, cloud-based, or LTO, protecting your data protects your heritage and your potential revenue streams for years to come. Any decision made regarding data storage should always factor in the repercussions and issues that may arise should the contents be needed in the future.
Don't make the same mistake NASA did, secure your assets and do it properly.

How valuable will your data be? At Film Locker we always believe it is valuable enough to justify using an external data storage company and taking the process seriously; as seriously as landing on the moon?

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