How can an astronaut write in zero gravity? Many followers of space research ask that question and the answer and solution to writing in orbit is the famous million dollar pen, the space pen.
As he recalls a report published on the website of xatakathis curious instrument was in space in October 1969 so that travelers could take notes.
Is this a legend, a true story, or have we been deceived with the value of the pen? We’ll tell you then.
Did the Space Pen cost a million dollars?
While NASA and other space agencies often spend a lot of money on solutions to problems that may seem small in space, the reality is that the Space Pen did not cost NASA a million dollars. It is a recognized story, but of little certainty.
On the early Apollo missions, astronauts used pencils that cost more than $100 each. Apparently NASA spent more than $4,300 on them, a fair rate for these tools modified so astronomers could take them in zero gravity and the graphite wouldn’t break.
The problem with using a pencil is that graphite is a material that, in addition to being able to break and detach easily from paper, is flammable. Using a pen was a better idea and an entrepreneur named Paul Fisher invested a million dollars out of his own pocket to create the Space Pen.
Fisher made a pen that included in the ink cartridge also pressurized nitrogen. The gas pressed and pushed down the ink so that it would come out and not create a vacuum, but simply reduce the pressure inside the cartridge when the ink ran outa common system today, but revolutionary at the time.
The creator’s investment was $1,000,000, he put it up for sale for just over 10 dollars and NASA, for being the US space agency and for buying it in quantities, I got it for $6. This is the true story.
Interestingly, this is not the only pen that works in space today, but since it was what the astronauts got used to, both the US agency and Roscosmos in Russia stuck with the Space Pen.
