I thought this was interesting (both that the space shuttle still used core memory, and that the challenger memory was retrieved and its contents recovered):

> Core memory is non-volatile storage—it can retain its contents indefinitely without power. It is also relatively unaffected by EMP and radiation. ... For example, the Space Shuttle flight computers initially used core memory, which preserved the contents of memory even through the Challenger's disintegration and subsequent plunge into the sea in 1986.

(From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic-core_memory#Physical_c... )

Note that this core memory is a little different than the rope core memory described in the linked article.