THESE are reasons why NASA doesn't use pencils in space

During the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, an intriguing legend emerged about how astronauts handled writing in the reduced-gravity environment.

According to history, the Americans would have invested six months in an advanced development technology to resolve this issue, while the Russians would have found a simple solution by using a pencil.

During the first space missions, NASA used a special mechanical pencil manufactured by Tycam Engineering Manufacturing instead of a common pencil.

Due to the high cost of the object, the space agency faced financial challenges and considered it an unprecedented expense.

Aware of the need to find a more economical and safer solution, NASA began research to develop a viable alternative.

Thus, over time, space pens capable of writing in reduced gravity environments were developed.

Pencils cannot participate in NASA space missions

The space agency has deemed it crucial to avoid using potentially hazardous materials on board spacecraft. Ordinary pencils, for example, could break and create floating fragments in space, posing risks to astronauts and sensitive electronic components.

Materials such as graphite, present in pencils, are flammable and electrically conductive, which could be problematic in a space environment.

Therefore, the search for a safer and more suitable alternative led to the development of pressurized space pens.

In the 1950s, American inventor Paul Fisher created Fisher Space Pens, which had a pressurized charge.

These pens are designed to work both in space and underwater, overcoming the limitations of traditional ballpoint pens.

Although the technology offered by Fisher Space Pens was able to operate in different conditions, such as extreme temperatures and greasy surfaces, NASA was initially hesitant to adopt it in the 1980s. 1960.

However, over time, the agency recognized the effectiveness and reliability of these pens and began to use them on its space missions.

Since then, Fisher Space Pens have become known as space pens, being used by astronauts and appreciated for their functionality in challenging environments.

NASA was impressed with the capabilities of the Fisher Space Pen and decided to put it through rigorous testing. After satisfactory results, NASA adopted it for use in future Apollo missions.

The debut of the well-known “space pen” took place during the Apollo 7 mission in 1968. Since then, it has become an essential tool for astronauts, allowing them to write and record information during their journeys in space.

Lover of movies and series and everything that involves cinema. An active curious on the networks, always connected to information about the web.