An enclosure for protecting a heat sensitive item from high temperatures and shock which includes: (a) an outer housing including an inner cavity for containing at least one heat sensitive item; (b) an aquarium located within the inner cavity including at least one protective compartment within which the at least one heat sensitive item is located; (c) a thermal mass, located within the inner cavity and covering at least a portion of the exterior surface of the aquarium; and (d) a venting mechanism for venting any moisture, that penetrates the aquarium and enters the at least one protective compartment included therein, to the ambient air outside the outer housing. The invention finds particular utility in the Flight Recorder field where heat sensitive components, such as solid state memories, may be subject to fire and shock often resulting from an aircraft crash. The invention also features a corrosion protection capability which is effective when the item being protected is in close proximity to a source of moisture. Further aspects of the invention are directed to processes for fabricating enclosures of then type contemplated by the invention (a Flight Crash Survival Storage Unit (FCSSU) in the Flight Recorder context) , and to an aquarium per se for use in a FCSSU of the type contemplated by the invention.
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