Back in the day (1999) I wrote a data processing and archiving pipeline for a research satellite, and I was surprised to discover the specificity of their data archival requirements. Off the top of my head, these were decision points: * Pretty much only used "gold" CDs, rated for longer storage. * CD write speed was restricted - higher write speeds caused more write failures * The total data payload was regulated (~600 MB I think), and one of the reasons why was because of the physical impact of human handling on the outermost areas of the disc. * Storage temperature was also regulated

But ultimately, the two main data storage strategies employed were: * Physical redundancy - six copies of everything, mailed out to six physically separate facilities every week. * No archiving "forever" - Archived data was (theoretically) to be restored to contemporary storage technology whenever there was a significant step change in storage technology. At the time, another member of the lab was working on restoring old Voyager data feeds, although I have no awareness of how common this actually was.