“Professional archivists are tasked with something structurally impossible in the digital world: they are asked to preserve records permanently, but every tool they have comes with an expiration date. They know with professional certainty that whatever they put into digital storage today will require migration, intervention, and risk again in 10–20 years. And again after that. Forever.”
NanoFiche is the first medium that lets an archivist make a preservation decision for a medium that does not need to be migrated. It lets them reach a terminal state where the record is no longer a recurring responsibility. It turns “preserve forever” from an impossible aspiration into an achievable outcome.
How NanoFiche Works
Dual Output Approach
Accessibility + Permanence
High-resolution imaging → Precision engraving on nickel plate → Generation of digital master file
Recovery – If the digital layer is compromised, lost, or becomes unreadable → Scan the physical nickel plate.
Parse it back into PDF or other usable formats.
| Category | Digital Server Center / Data Center | Traditional Microfiche Archival | NanoFiche Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Setup/Capital Cost | High ($ millions for servers, infrastructure, redundancy) | Medium (film production + readers) | Medium-Low (electroplating/manufacturing scalable) |
| Annual Maintenance & Operations | Very High ($thousands–millions; cooling, staffing, upgrades) | Low-Medium (climate control + periodic duplication) | Very Low (warehouse environment, no special care) |
| Electricity/HVAC/Energy | Extremely High (constant cooling, power redundancy) | Medium (strict temp/humidity controls required) | Very Low (stable in standard warehouse) |
| Longevity / Obsolescence Risk | Low (5–10 years before major migration, data rot, format changes) | High (100–500+ years if ideal conditions maintained) | Extremely High (thousands–millions of years, analog metal) |
| Storage Density / Space Efficiency | High (but needs power/cooling infrastructure) | Medium (compact sheets) | Extremely High (4800x more efficient than microfiche) |
| Access Equipment Maintenance (50+ years) | High (servers, networks, software updates, replacements) | Medium (readers/viewers, scanners; periodic servicing) | Low (simple optical/laser viewers, durable, low-tech options) |
| Environmental Controls Needed | Strict (cooling, backup power, fire suppression) | Strict (temp/humidity, pollutants) | Minimal (standard warehouse OK) |
| Migration / Refresh Costs Over 50 Years | Very High (multiple full data migrations) | Medium (occasional duplication) | Very Low/None (analog, no migration) |
| Total 50-Year Cost Estimate (per equivalent data volume) | Highest (energy + migrations dominate) | Medium | Lowest (durable, low ongoing) |
| Risks | Power outages, cyberattacks, tech obsolescence, high failure in disasters | Degradation if environment not controlled | Minimal (disaster-resistant analog) |
Permanent • Migration Free • Maintenance Free
Space
NanoFiche® delivers radiation-resistant, maintenance-free archival storage on durable nickel plates. Requiring no power, electronics, or software, it offers permanent data preservation ideal for long-duration space missions. Content remains readable by simple magnification for centuries, even if all electronic systems fail.
Genealogical
NanoFiche provides families a permanent solution for preserving genealogical records, photos, and documents. Engraved on durable nickel plates, content resists degradation and requires no maintenance, migration, or special technology. Future generations can access their family history using only simple magnification, protecting precious records from digital obsolescence and environmental damage for centuries.
Religious
NanoFiche offers religious archives a permanent solution for preserving sacred texts and doctrinal records on durable nickel plates. Readable by simple magnification for centuries with no maintenance or migration required, it supports faithful stewardship while eliminating recurring costs and risks of digital obsolescence.
Government
NanoFiche presents government archives a permanent preservation of public records on durable nickel plates. Readable by simple magnification for centuries with no maintenance or migration, it reduces long-term storage and migration costs while providing strong resilience against disasters, cyber threats, and technological obsolescence.
Long Now Archive
The Art Side of the Moon
NanoFiche Explained
Lunar Archives
- The GLPH archive is on Astrobotic’s infrastructure-class Griffin-1 lunar lander designated by NASA as Moon Base II.
- Griffin-1 is slated for launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in Q4 2026 on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
- Upon touchdown at the lunar South Pole, AstroGLPH will remain permanently accessible on the surface, effectively establishing the first assets “licensed” for another celestial body.
- Learn more on the Astrobotic site.
- Past Lunar mission archives include SpaceIL Beresheet, Astrobotic Peregrine 1, Firefly Blue Ghost, Intuitive Machines Odysseus, ISpace Resilience.
Locations of NanoFiche
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC
- Draper Museum, Cambridge
- MoonShot Museum, Pittsburg PA
- America 250 Time Vault, Philadelphia PA
- Arizona Time Vault, Mesa AZ
- Argentina Time Vault made for Norsam, Santa Fe NM
- Adzom Rinpoche Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Archives of the National Library of Israel, Jerusalem Israel
- Long Now Rosetta Project, San Francisco CA
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester
- The Moon