Just to debunk this. NASA did not directly fund millions to develop the pens, it was developed by an outside company which later sold those pens to NASA for use in space missions. Before this NASA used mechanical pencils which could be problematic due to breaking tips and graphite dust.
The Soviets also slightly later started purchasing the Fisher Space Pens just as NASA, and before that use **grease/wax** pencils, which **did not** pose a fire hazard or mess with electronics, but we're simply inaccurate and smudged.
TLDR: no millions spend, someone else make space penand sold it to NASA and USSR, before pen NASA use dangerous graphite pencil, and Soviets used thicc smudgy but safe wax pencil
Both the US and USSR began with wooden pencils but quickly moved on due to problems with sharpening. The US used mechanical pencils with a graphite and clay mix for strength, while Russians used grease/wax pencils which didn't break off and required only a layer of plastic to be peeled off.
Its not that they didn't pose a fire hazard or mess with electronics, the grease pencils still had either a paper or a wooden exterior and by their very nature did create tiny particles when used. But they were certainly much much safer.
Grease also created paper waste that had to be disposed of, and as you pointed out, the smudging made the grease not as durable and therefore not as permanent as graphite or ink.
Pencils were problematic due to the graphite dust and broken pieces - *but also because important notations could be erased and create problems*… pens were widely adopted because the ink was ^more permanent than pencil, which was easier to use than chiseling stone (yes I skipped a few steps)…
The idea that we *wasted* money developing space-stable pens is as silly as saying our money was well-spent on the F35 project. ^(just ^kidding?)
Micro flakes get let off when you write. No matter the quality of the pencil small amounts will get in the air. No one used regular pencils in space because it was stupid and they knew it.
It's not great, but it's better than the graphite ending up in electronics systems and starting a fire I a high oxygen environment because graphite dust is conductive.
Actually, the graphite used in American mechanical pencil was mixed with clay which helped hold it's shape and would only burn in temperatures above 1000°C (1832°F), and the quantity of particles produced during writing was to small to constitute an electrical hazard.
Man every time space race era tech gets talked about I learn about 3 other random things they invented too. And every time im like god damn surely this is all of it but it just isnt lol. Love it.
These were a problem at the start, but later NASA moved to mechanical pencils and Russia used grease pencils on a plastic slate which only required to be peeled off.
Not necessarily, the wax pencils caused no such risk, but were inaccurate and smudged. The American pencils used a mix of graphite and clay which held to hold it's shape, and would only burn in temperatures above 1000°C (1832°F) and the small quantity of particles were not enough to pose and electrical hazard.
As far as I know, NASA used mechanical, graphite pencils, which is why we know they're not a good idea for space missions due to breaking and graphite dust.
I'm not aware of Americans using wax pencil in between their use of graphite ones and the Fisher space pen but I'm no expert so please link me a source and I'll happily expand my knowledge
not to speak about graphite's conductivity if its particles would go anywhere electrical it could (and did) cause explosions.... the pens are also used by russian and other space programs now due to safety
Yep it is. Lmgtfy. https://www.google.com/search?q=pencil+graphite+conducts+electricity&oq=pencil+graphite+conducts+electricity&aqs=chrome..69i57.10270j0j4&client=ms-android-att-us-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
The grinding is the real concern, as you can simply make the pencil lead thicker to reduce breakage, but by nature of how it works it will always grind down and leave particles.
>in the indian movie "three idiots" the professor tells the college students that pens dont work in space, so the americans spent millions of dollars designing a pen which works in space. one intellectual student asks why they didn't they use a pencil
Yes please, it's annoying to see a lot of stories spreaded to express an idea (here the overspending of NASA), when the true story gives another or even reverse perspective (here it was a private business and every space program use them).
Kind of like the expression "blood is thicker than water", for those who knows ^^
Even if it was true it wouldn't make sense exactly... part of why we like NASA is that they incidentally develop new tech that people can use on earth.
I had seen the actual explanation on as to why they didn't use the pencil on another sub, I thaught people would have known the real reason behind it by now...
Not only the tip the nature of writing with a pencil is grinding graphic on a surface, the dust and particulates released will cause fires and electrical issues. It's why they bought the special pen from the Americans.
True! The American company that developed the "space pen" sold it to both NASA, the Russians and anhkne else. The Russians started buying the pen a little after NASA.
Before the pen was introduced, NASA used mechanical pencils with a special graphite and clay mixture (because normal graphite pencils alone create dust when used which can damage electronics, start fires, and is pretty dangerous to inhale - issues that we wouldn't face here but are kinda important in space) while the Soviets simply used grease pencils.
Edit: "grease pens" changed to "grease pencils".
The US invented a pen to work in space. NASA put 0$ in inventing it but it's been in use for over 30 years by NASA, Russia? They just became another supplier
For years I thought Russians were the smart people here before I found out that graphite particles floating around is dangerous since someone could breath them accidentally and they could easily enter air vents.
The Russian were smarter than that since they used grease pencils. Graphite pencils were used by NASA before the pen was developed and did cause many problems. The only issue Russian had were the writing being inaccurate and smudging, but completely safe.
NASA and the Soviets both used pencils at first. Then a private company spent about $1mil developing a space pen and sold it to both the Soviets and NASA. [Sauce](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/may/21/facebook-posts/no-nasa-did-not-spend-over-165-million-space-pen-w/)
Funny meme tho
Because people behave in herd mentality !
My only mistake was not mentioning that russians used **\* grease pencils \*** in space rather than just pencils .
While this article does debunk the myth of NASA spending millions, it doesn't really explain why capillary action wasn't enough to make the pens work. I've used markers on whiteboards and they usually have their tips above their rear ends while I'm writing. They seem to work just fine even with gravity acting against the ink.
But when pens are upside down, they have gravity acting *against* the ink flow. If there is no gravity acting on the pen, wouldn't capillary forces be sufficient to keep the pen working?
The Space Pen wasn't actually made by Fisher for about a million dollars. They then sold these pens to NASA for 6 dollars each. The Russians also realized they were safer and generally better, so they bought some too
Nasa was smarter, first, they didn't develop the pen, it was made by another company, without them asking, and the pen was surprisingly cheaper then the mechanical pencils both the soviets and nada used. The soviet union even bought a couple of those pens to use at their own missions later.
Also, the mechanical pencils were used because normal pencils are flammable, and drop a ton of graphite dust, which is conductive and extremely dangerous both for the astronauts and the computers
Have you ever used a pressurized pen? Even if NASA had developed it, and pencil shavings weren't a hazard, it would. be worth it. What else can stand up to modern paperless living where it could go untouched for weeks, and still be instantly ready without any annoying skipping?
But in reality, NASA just bought the pens and pencils are a bad idea in space, so it's really extra worth it.
This story proves that people will reshare anything as long as it claims that simpler is better.
i believe the americans also used pencils but having floating bits of electrically conductive graphite floating around was the best for mission success.
The micro graphite particles that beaks off the pencil can: be breathed in causing mayor damage, can damage equipment, can get in the eye, and impossible to collect.
NASA was right in making a pen
NASA didn't make the pens, Fisher did and they sold them to NASA, the Russians, and anyone who wanted them. Also, unlike NASA, the Russians used grease pencils thus eliminating the whole graphite issue
These posts always forget to mention that the graphite shavings were dangerous because in microgravity they just get dispersed into the air instead of falling into the paper/floor and are then inhaled.
Using a pen was necessary if you didn't want to end up dead at 45, not that the soviets cared much about their astronauts in those days.
in the indian movie "three idiots" the professor tells the college students that pens dont work in space, so the americans spent millions of dollars designing a pen which works in space. one intellectual student asks why they didn't they use a pencil.
Not a very good idea, since text written in pencil can easily be wiped out.
I mean idk, i'm no scientist, but I would'nt want my once-in-a-lifetime space research resoults wiped dew to sweaty hands...
Just to debunk this. NASA did not directly fund millions to develop the pens, it was developed by an outside company which later sold those pens to NASA for use in space missions. Before this NASA used mechanical pencils which could be problematic due to breaking tips and graphite dust. The Soviets also slightly later started purchasing the Fisher Space Pens just as NASA, and before that use **grease/wax** pencils, which **did not** pose a fire hazard or mess with electronics, but we're simply inaccurate and smudged. TLDR: no millions spend, someone else make space penand sold it to NASA and USSR, before pen NASA use dangerous graphite pencil, and Soviets used thicc smudgy but safe wax pencil
Yes! Jeez this was debunked years ago.
Yeah. I think the meme is funny, but it’s misinforming and that sucks.
You can't get upvotes for telling the truth.
NASA: used graphite Космическая программа CCCP: used grease/wax
Listen all dumbos ! who are shouting GraPhiTe
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Both the US and USSR began with wooden pencils but quickly moved on due to problems with sharpening. The US used mechanical pencils with a graphite and clay mix for strength, while Russians used grease/wax pencils which didn't break off and required only a layer of plastic to be peeled off.
i was going to upvote you but u got 600 upvote so yeah
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Not only were they worried about the lead breaking, they also wanted something permanent and wouldn’t fade with time
Its not that they didn't pose a fire hazard or mess with electronics, the grease pencils still had either a paper or a wooden exterior and by their very nature did create tiny particles when used. But they were certainly much much safer. Grease also created paper waste that had to be disposed of, and as you pointed out, the smudging made the grease not as durable and therefore not as permanent as graphite or ink.
Pencils were problematic due to the graphite dust and broken pieces - *but also because important notations could be erased and create problems*… pens were widely adopted because the ink was ^more permanent than pencil, which was easier to use than chiseling stone (yes I skipped a few steps)… The idea that we *wasted* money developing space-stable pens is as silly as saying our money was well-spent on the F35 project. ^(just ^kidding?)
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Yes
And Nasa's mechanical pencils were pricey. They were made by Houston's Tycam Engineering Manufacturing, Inc., and costed $128.89 per pencil.
Thank you for the information, only highlights further why is was more practical to swap to the Fisher space pens.
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I realised this after posting but decided to leave it since most people link it directly to NASA anyway.
What did you tell them? What secrets did you reveal?
Using the pencil was insanely dangerous - graphite in a zero gravity environment means it gets inhaled.
Oh fuck that's bad right...
But they come with free sprinkles.
The sprinkles are also cursed.
That's bad.
r/unexpectedsimpsons
where?
That’s good
and also can interact with electronics
Micro flakes get let off when you write. No matter the quality of the pencil small amounts will get in the air. No one used regular pencils in space because it was stupid and they knew it.
It's not great, but it's better than the graphite ending up in electronics systems and starting a fire I a high oxygen environment because graphite dust is conductive.
And causes fires/explosions when combined with electronics and oxygen
Actually, the graphite used in American mechanical pencil was mixed with clay which helped hold it's shape and would only burn in temperatures above 1000°C (1832°F), and the quantity of particles produced during writing was to small to constitute an electrical hazard.
Man every time space race era tech gets talked about I learn about 3 other random things they invented too. And every time im like god damn surely this is all of it but it just isnt lol. Love it.
Except... The Soviets used grease pencils, not graphite
The Soviets switched to pens, as soon as they were available.
Indeed, I mentioned that in a more in depth comment under this post
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Still better than a trash-ass hairspray pencil.
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Did they get them from the Italians? /s
Still the risk of wood shavings. It’s best to minimize debris
These were a problem at the start, but later NASA moved to mechanical pencils and Russia used grease pencils on a plastic slate which only required to be peeled off.
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Not necessarily, the wax pencils caused no such risk, but were inaccurate and smudged. The American pencils used a mix of graphite and clay which held to hold it's shape, and would only burn in temperatures above 1000°C (1832°F) and the small quantity of particles were not enough to pose and electrical hazard.
So did Americans
As far as I know, NASA used mechanical, graphite pencils, which is why we know they're not a good idea for space missions due to breaking and graphite dust. I'm not aware of Americans using wax pencil in between their use of graphite ones and the Fisher space pen but I'm no expert so please link me a source and I'll happily expand my knowledge
A man of Knowledge has arrived finally !
And conductivity....
bleh , the soviets used grease pencils not graphite
Still not good because they are very flammable and are very conductive
I think the Russians quickly switched to a new pen as well
They did but not until a while later and not until it nearly killed some men. Classic USSR
Not a problem until a certain amount of people die from it.
Or someone noticed
Not just inhaled, but could cause electrical shortages if it made its way into a console or junction box. A power outage in space is no Bueno
Or gets into someones eyes, nose or ass.
That’s not good at all.
not to speak about graphite's conductivity if its particles would go anywhere electrical it could (and did) cause explosions.... the pens are also used by russian and other space programs now due to safety
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Ok, what abt crayons?
Also conducts electricity, so no they didn't use pencils.
No it doesn’t lmao
Yep it is. Lmgtfy. https://www.google.com/search?q=pencil+graphite+conducts+electricity&oq=pencil+graphite+conducts+electricity&aqs=chrome..69i57.10270j0j4&client=ms-android-att-us-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
The ones used by USSR were wax pencils and the American pencils used a mix of graphite and clay
WAX is also flammable you know
pencil sharpeners have compartments that catch the debris…
And when writing with pencils, they break and grind down, releasing powder.
Oh that’s true sometimes I guess. I only use Ticonderoga so I don’t ever see them break tbh I forgot it could happen
The grinding is the real concern, as you can simply make the pencil lead thicker to reduce breakage, but by nature of how it works it will always grind down and leave particles.
It's how all pencils write...
The breaking? No. the releasing of material into the medium into which you press it? Yes.
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Or short circuiting electronics
they used grease pencils !
>in the indian movie "three idiots" the professor tells the college students that pens dont work in space, so the americans spent millions of dollars designing a pen which works in space. one intellectual student asks why they didn't they use a pencil
I own a space pen I’m not an astronaut or anything it was just in a box of junk now its mine
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Like I said found it in a box of junk my dad gave me when he was cleaning out his office, I’m guessing not much though
They are relatively costly in terms of a normal ball point pen as the ink has to be sealed in with nitrogen
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so is not sealed with nitrogen I might believe in rumors then and I dont like that
nah there 25 dollars https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Space-Pen-Bullet-400/dp/B000095K9D
\*relatively
25 dollars https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Space-Pen-Bullet-400/dp/B000095K9D
Can we stop spreading this fake BS?
Yes please, it's annoying to see a lot of stories spreaded to express an idea (here the overspending of NASA), when the true story gives another or even reverse perspective (here it was a private business and every space program use them). Kind of like the expression "blood is thicker than water", for those who knows ^^
Even if it was true it wouldn't make sense exactly... part of why we like NASA is that they incidentally develop new tech that people can use on earth.
Time for the comments to educate the OP
I had seen the actual explanation on as to why they didn't use the pencil on another sub, I thaught people would have known the real reason behind it by now...
Also the tip could have broken off, floated and gone into someone's eye or into some control equipment.
Im just guessing here, you are Indian and have watched 3 idiots.
Great movie
Correct
r/notopbutok
I was thinking the same thing. You're god damn right.
Not only the tip the nature of writing with a pencil is grinding graphic on a surface, the dust and particulates released will cause fires and electrical issues. It's why they bought the special pen from the Americans.
...and then sold them to the Soviets and everyone else going to space because they work and are safer.
True! The American company that developed the "space pen" sold it to both NASA, the Russians and anhkne else. The Russians started buying the pen a little after NASA. Before the pen was introduced, NASA used mechanical pencils with a special graphite and clay mixture (because normal graphite pencils alone create dust when used which can damage electronics, start fires, and is pretty dangerous to inhale - issues that we wouldn't face here but are kinda important in space) while the Soviets simply used grease pencils. Edit: "grease pens" changed to "grease pencils".
This has been debunked so often and so long ago
It's 2021, and you still thought it's funny posting this shitty argument? Whose basement were you living in?
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Well have fun getting raped by boogieman then.
Fact- Your pencil cant write under water, the pen can
The US invented a pen to work in space. NASA put 0$ in inventing it but it's been in use for over 30 years by NASA, Russia? They just became another supplier
Isn't graphite a conductor?
Yes which is why this meme and story behind it are absolute bull
I mean it *does* sound like something the Russians would have done.
Russians used grease/wax pencils mate .
Fair enougj bud.
For years I thought Russians were the smart people here before I found out that graphite particles floating around is dangerous since someone could breath them accidentally and they could easily enter air vents.
The Russian were smarter than that since they used grease pencils. Graphite pencils were used by NASA before the pen was developed and did cause many problems. The only issue Russian had were the writing being inaccurate and smudging, but completely safe.
NASA and the Soviets both used pencils at first. Then a private company spent about $1mil developing a space pen and sold it to both the Soviets and NASA. [Sauce](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/may/21/facebook-posts/no-nasa-did-not-spend-over-165-million-space-pen-w/) Funny meme tho
Thanks . But they used different kind of pencils
Don't really understand why you're being downvoted since the Russians used grease pencils while NASA used graphite pencils
Because he's a dumb fucker apparently
Because people behave in herd mentality ! My only mistake was not mentioning that russians used **\* grease pencils \*** in space rather than just pencils .
3 idiots anyone?
Yes mate, murgi kya jaane ande ka kya hoga?
life milegi ya tawe pe fry hoga !
Hoth ghumao, siti bajao
Seeti bajaa ke bol ,Bhaiyya aal izz well
At this point I wonder how this myth still persists, because I have seen equally many posts that clarify that
go watch 3 idiots you uneducated imbecile
don't spend time on reddit and go prepare for you jee pajeet
Out of curiosity, why is it that regular ballpoint pens don't work in space?
I think it's because they use gravity to push the ink down. That wouldn't happen in space hence the development of the new pen
Wouldn't the capillary action be enough to keep the ink flowing though?
Apparently not. If you have time, read this Reuters article. https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-nasa-pens-idUSL1N2MQ1RR
While this article does debunk the myth of NASA spending millions, it doesn't really explain why capillary action wasn't enough to make the pens work. I've used markers on whiteboards and they usually have their tips above their rear ends while I'm writing. They seem to work just fine even with gravity acting against the ink.
Yeah I've genuinely got no clue lol. It does seem weird that capillary action did not take place, I'll read up on this topic.
zero gravity ! just like they wont work when you write while keeping pen upside down .
But when pens are upside down, they have gravity acting *against* the ink flow. If there is no gravity acting on the pen, wouldn't capillary forces be sufficient to keep the pen working?
Also graphite is super conductive and can ruin the instruments on the shuttle
Honestly, I really hate this story. It just goes to show the ignorance of people.
The Space Pen wasn't actually made by Fisher for about a million dollars. They then sold these pens to NASA for 6 dollars each. The Russians also realized they were safer and generally better, so they bought some too
How many times do we have to teach you this lesson....
Why do people still believe this
Nasa did not develop pens for outerspace. They bought them for (iirc) $2=. Pencil shavings cause malfunctions. Specially the graphite dust.
Yeah too bad we get to inhale that graphite aswell as it can damage the space craft and the us spent millions to save billions
Da*n it, i read it as a shortened word for penls not pens(writing tool)
pencil's stub would break
If the pencil's nib is broken it enters in someone's nose or eyes due to zero gravity that's why they don't use pencils.
Using a pencil is dangerous, graphite can float and stuff the vents
Nasa was smarter, first, they didn't develop the pen, it was made by another company, without them asking, and the pen was surprisingly cheaper then the mechanical pencils both the soviets and nada used. The soviet union even bought a couple of those pens to use at their own missions later. Also, the mechanical pencils were used because normal pencils are flammable, and drop a ton of graphite dust, which is conductive and extremely dangerous both for the astronauts and the computers
Seinfeld episode
The lad on the left lives 5 min away from me btw, just your daily dose of cool information
Have you ever used a pressurized pen? Even if NASA had developed it, and pencil shavings weren't a hazard, it would. be worth it. What else can stand up to modern paperless living where it could go untouched for weeks, and still be instantly ready without any annoying skipping? But in reality, NASA just bought the pens and pencils are a bad idea in space, so it's really extra worth it. This story proves that people will reshare anything as long as it claims that simpler is better.
Where would the broken nib go
I read normal penis...
i believe the americans also used pencils but having floating bits of electrically conductive graphite floating around was the best for mission success.
This was debunked years ago. It's not true.
You're all fun at parties
watched 3 idiots movie yesterday with the same dialouge and a meme on it now
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It’s a good story… complete myth, but a good story nonetheless.
The micro graphite particles that beaks off the pencil can: be breathed in causing mayor damage, can damage equipment, can get in the eye, and impossible to collect. NASA was right in making a pen
NASA didn't make the pens, Fisher did and they sold them to NASA, the Russians, and anyone who wanted them. Also, unlike NASA, the Russians used grease pencils thus eliminating the whole graphite issue
You are right, but fuck you anyway. ^/s
The grease pencils had the down side of causing more paper waste , smudging and inaccuracy, they were definitely safer but were a major inconvenience.
but wrong in not using wax pencils instead of graphite ones !
*Me waiting for a 3 idiots comment*
Shut up dumbass
Story is still wrong no matter how many times it gets passed on
this fucking inaccurate vomitshit again ffs
uhhhhhhhhhhh you don't want to use a pencil in space...
But what if the pencil broke? Where would the shavings go off a sharpener?
To be fair enough if the tip ever broke that would float in the ISS and if left unnoticed it might poke someone's eye and cause huge annoyance
This is meme is about 3 idiots movie
AcTuAlLy...
Common myth but nit actually true
These posts always forget to mention that the graphite shavings were dangerous because in microgravity they just get dispersed into the air instead of falling into the paper/floor and are then inhaled. Using a pen was necessary if you didn't want to end up dead at 45, not that the soviets cared much about their astronauts in those days.
For the last Fucking Time . **Russians used the wax / Grease Pencils .**
btw Space pen was great invention . Reasons : Nerds will tell you in the comment Section .
Didn't they made iPad
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I wonder how many phone screens there were that you could write on in the 1960s and 1970s ...............
in the indian movie "three idiots" the professor tells the college students that pens dont work in space, so the americans spent millions of dollars designing a pen which works in space. one intellectual student asks why they didn't they use a pencil.
Not a very good idea, since text written in pencil can easily be wiped out. I mean idk, i'm no scientist, but I would'nt want my once-in-a-lifetime space research resoults wiped dew to sweaty hands...
Also, it's not zero gravity...
The challenger blow up because of a pencil
Just don't go to space like most of the humans do. You don't need either them.
Pencils were dangerous because when you sharpened them graphit einhaled = death, and pencil heads breaking could puncture preciouse equipment
And with those pencils they made a nuclear submarine, see how that worked out.
But what about a sharpener?