Remember such an anecdote or a tale from the times of the USSR that the Americans spent millions of dollars on the development of a special ink pen for NASA that could write in zero gravity. In the USSR, they allegedly solved the problem simply and effectively, giving the astronauts ordinary slate pencils.
In fact, there is both fiction and truth …
In fact, NASA did not spare money for space projects. It is known that for use in space, the US agency acquired incredibly expensive writing supplies. They did not cost millions, but it is known that in 1965 mechanical pencils were purchased for $ 128 for use in space. They had a heavy-duty body and the most common lead.
But the story about the use of ordinary pencils by Soviet cosmonauts in orbit does not correspond to reality. Both the United States and the Union used special Fisher pens in space, which neither side spent a penny on developing. What is the secret of space stationery?
It is known that simple ballpoint pens use gravity in their work. Under its action, the ink rushes to the tip of the rod, on which the writing head with the ball is located. To make sure that this information is correct, turn the pen over, hold it in this position for 10-15 minutes and try to write something. The pen will not work until ink returns to the refill head.
Since an ordinary pen could not work in zero gravity, before the advent of the Fisher pen, both our and American astronauts used pencils. Only the representatives of the United States had them mechanical, and ours had wax. Both options had their advantages and disadvantages.
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Mechanical accessories were written in thin lines, differing little in this respect from pens. But if the graphite rod broke, it was a serious hazard. Firstly, a piece of graphite could have gotten into someone's eye, and secondly, there was some possibility that such a piece would get into important electronic equipment and cause a short circuit or some other malfunction.
Wax pencils of the Soviet space explorers.
Our astronauts used wax pencils, which were difficult to break. To enlarge the erasable writing section, you just had to tear off some paper. They wrote such accessories unimportantly - with thick blurry lines, and scraps of paper flying in the ship disturbed its inhabitants.
Both mechanical and wax crayons also had a common disadvantage - the presence of combustible materials in their compositions. After the horrific Apollo 1 fire, NASA did everything it could to get rid of the combustible materials inside the spacecraft.
The product that suits absolutely everyone appeared in 1965. Engineer Paul C. Fisher, invented a fundamentally new type of writing utensils, which were immediately dubbed the "anti-gravity space pen." The ink in it was under pressure, which created nitrogen pumped into the ampoule.
Space pens can still be purchased today.
The ink itself was also unusual - thixotropic, or, in simple terms, had a high viscosity. Thanks to this feature, they did not evaporate so quickly and remained motionless until the ball began to rotate. By the way, Fischer made that element of the device from tungsten carbide, a hard material that retains its shape well under any influence. Thus, the inventor was reinsured against leaks associated with damage to the ball.
Thanks to this device, the pen did not depend on gravity and could write in absolutely any conditions, and not only in space. All parts of the Fisher pen, except the ink, were metal and could withstand temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius.
NASA was not involved in the development of this important product. It is believed that Fischer spent approximately one million dollars of his own money on the invention and its serial production. The designer offered his development to the space agency in 1965, and in 1967 it was approved for use by astronauts.
This is what the original Fisher looked like.
Just a year later, NASA suppliers purchased 400 units for just $ 2.39 per pen. The USSR also purchased 100 pieces of outlandish writing utensils for its space programs. The Americans were the first to test Fisher's pens in 1968 on Apollo 7, and in 1969 our cosmonauts also began to write with it.
Fischer did not lose sight of the incredibly powerful advertising for his company and its products. Today, pens of a different type and brand are used in space, but Fisher could be seen in the hands of Russian astronauts until the mid-90s.
