The Solid State Recorder and Digital Tape Recorders are complete recording/ data storage systems that store selected sensor data during each orbit for subsequent playback. The recorders are part of the Command and Data Handling subsystem of the spacecraft that downloads to the Command and Data Acquisition Stations.

The DTR consists of an electronics unit containing the data conditioning circuitry, command and telemetry subsystems, power supply, timing references, and spacecraft interfaces. Two pressurized transport units each contain a coaxial reel-to-reel tape transport with associated gearless and motorless negator-spring tape tensioning system, bearing assemblies, motor/capstan, record/playback and erase heads, and record/playback electronics. Each DTR has a nominal storage capacity of 1 Gbit and selectable playback rates up to 2.66 Mbps.

The SSR performs identical functions to the DTR using solid state Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) devices instead of magnetic tape and its associated electromechanical elements. It provides an increased storage capacity of 2.8 Gbits and superior bit error rate performance with its custom Error Detection and Correction (EDAC) circuitry.