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How did astronauts use pencils in space?
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Did astronauts use pens in space?
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Can a pen work in space?
Did NASA spend $165 million to develop Space Pens?
Jun 9, 2023 · Initially, astronauts and cosmonauts both used pencils in space. NASA did spend some money researching the viability of a ballpoint pen designed for use in space, but scrapped the project early when it became clear that costs would spiral.
- Is the Space Pen a real thing? Yes, it is. The Fisher Space Pen made its television debut in October 1968, as Apollo 7 mission commander Walter Schirra demonstrated weightlessness by blowing on a pen to control its movement as it floated about the capsule.
- Why not just use a pencil? NASA wanted an alternative to pencils because the lead could easily break off and float away, creating a hazard to astronauts and sensitive electronics on the spacecraft.
- Did it cost taxpayers millions? No. Paul Fisher at the Fisher Pen Company had already been working on a pressurized pen. That said, it likely would never have reached the heights it did, in orbit or in popularity, without NASA’s testing.
- Do astronauts still use them? The pens have been used on every crewed NASA mission since Apollo 7 – dozens are currently aboard the International Space Station.
- Is The Space Pen A Real Thing?
- Why Not Just Use A Pencil?
- Did It Cost Taxpayers Millions?
- Do Astronauts Still Use them?
- Is It only For Space?
Yes, it is. The Fisher Space Pen made its television debut in October 1968, as Apollo 7 mission commander Walter Schirra demonstrated weightlessness by blowing on a pen to control its movement as it floated about the capsule. It was one of the first live video transmissions from an American spacecraft. Since then, Space Pens have appeared in televi...
NASA wanted an alternative to pencils because the lead could easily break off and float away, creating a hazard to astronauts and sensitive electronics on the spacecraft. Cosmonauts also have been using Space Pens since 1969.
No. Paul Fisher at the Fisher Pen Company had already been working on a pressurized pen. That said, it likely would never have reached the heights it did, in orbit or in popularity, without NASA’s testing. “The original ballpoints were terrible,” said Cary Fisher, Paul’s son, and current president of the company, which is now located in Boulder Cit...
The pens have been used on every crewed NASA mission since Apollo 7 – dozens are currently aboard the International Space Station.
The Space Pen line now comprises about 80 models. While they are popular gift items, Cary said, they are especially in-demand among members of the military and law enforcement, as well as outdoor enthusiasts, plane manufacturers, and oil workers, all of whom, like astronauts, appreciate their ability to write in any conditions. Fisher Pen Company h...
Nov 25, 2019 · U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts used pencils on their first space missions, according to NASA. From the late 1960s onward, they used Fisher Space Pens with pressurized ink cartridges that worked in zero gravity and at extreme temperatures.
- Trevor Schakohl
Dec 20, 2006 · Originally, NASA astronauts, like the Soviet cosmonauts, used pencils, according to NASA historians. In fact, NASA ordered 34 mechanical pencils from Houston's Tycam Engineering Manufacturing,...
- Ciara Curtin
Jul 5, 2018 · Astronaut Walt Cunningham, pilot of the Apollo 7 mission, uses the Fisher Space Pen while in flight. / NASA. The Space Pen was invented by Paul Fisher, head of Fisher Pen Company. Unlike a...
Jun 9, 2017 · The astronauts used these writing utensils in space to write mission reports, conduct post-mission analysis, or record anomalies on fireproof paper. The pencils were generally safe to use, but they came at a huge cost: NASA paid $4,382.50 for 34 mechanical pencils from Tycam Engineering Manufacturing in Houston, or $128.89 per pencil.
