Core memory is non-volatile. If you hooked it up to a computer, you could read out what was written into it. Theoretically. NASA recovered the Challenger's c

Core memory is non-volatile. If you hooked it up to a computer, you could read out what was written into it. Theoretically. NASA recovered the Challenger's core memory out of the ocean and was able to read it out months after the disaster. "On March 19, 1986, NASA announced that four of five Challenger General Purpose Computers (GPC) had been recovered from the Atlantic and moved to the IBM Federal Systems Division facility in Owego, NY. The GPCs were cleaned under controlled conditions and submerged in deionized water at Kennedy Space Center prior to air shipment March 16, 1986, to Owego. The GPC ferrite core memories were examined for any possible residual data -- a process that at the time was expected to take several months. This information was in the form of data--not onboard voice--and this path was pursued to add any possible additional information to the accident investigation. Many weeks later, it was found that the additional data frames did not measurably add to the information already gathered during the investigation." Ref: http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/conspiracy/q0258a.shtml http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/conspiracy/q0258a.shtml