The Interplanetary Data Reserve is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development, construction, and deployment of standardized genetic archive payloads for off-planet preservation of Earth's biological information.
The terrestrial genetic library — the product of approximately 3.5 billion years of evolution, comprising an estimated 8.7 million eukaryotic species and potentially a trillion or more microbial species — exists in its entirety at a single celestial address. Less than 0.1% has been genome-sequenced. There is no off-site backup.
Every terrestrial repository, however hardened or geographically distributed, shares common-mode exposure to planetary-scale hazards. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the world's gene banks, and the GenBank database are invaluable — but they all share the same address.
IDR exists to change that. Our approach is to make genetic archiving a routine component of every orbital launch, using a standardized payload — the Archive of Redundant Coding — that fits a standard CubeSat form factor and rides as a secondary payload on launches that are already going to space.
The ARC program requires no new technology. Synthetic DNA-in-silica storage, 5D optical quartz, radiation-hardened electronics, and CubeSat structures are all commercially available from existing suppliers.
The launch infrastructure is operational. Over 320 successful orbital launches reached orbit in 2025. SpaceX Rideshare missions routinely carry 70 to 140+ secondary payloads per flight.
The marginal launch cost per ARC — approximately $7,000 to $9,300 at current SpaceX Rideshare pricing — is negligible relative to any primary mission budget.
The only barrier is the decision to begin.
The Interplanetary Data Reserve is incorporated as an Ohio nonprofit corporation with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status forthcoming.
The ARC specification is published under open licensing, and a defensive disclosure ensures that no party can patent the core concept. The specification is freely implementable by any government agency, commercial entity, nonprofit, or international body.
Ian D. Reynolds is an independent researcher and the founder and Executive Director of the Interplanetary Data Reserve. He developed the ARC concept, authored the complete five-paper research suite, filed the defensive disclosure establishing public prior art, and is leading the organization through incorporation, funding, and prototype development.