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Spinoff story
Space Pens, Pencils, and How NASA Takes Notes in Space
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
Boulder City, Nevada-based Fisher Pen Company was already developing a pressurized ballpoint pen when NASA decided to stop using pencils in space. Traditional pens wouldn’t work without gravity. The company accelerated development, and NASA tested the resulting pen rigorously. The Space Pen, capable of writing in zero gravity, extreme temperatures, and underwater, has flown on every crewed mission since Apollo 7 and become a popular gift item on Earth.