How NASA’s Anti-Gravity Pen Helped Put a Man on the Moon

At the acme of the Space Race both Soviet and American astronauts faced an unforeseen challenge : acquire notes when the lack of solemnity rendered normal pens inoperable . The Americans reputedly “ spent millions ” on an advanced supercharge space playpen while the Soviets — they merely brought pencil .

While this anecdote is really designed to illustrate the expert mind-set difference between the US And USSR space computer program it is based on a true story . The space penitentiary NASA use during the Apollo program was n’t designed by the government government agency but rather the Fisher Space Pen Co. Paul Fisher , the company ’s founder and discoverer of the general ink refill cartridge , had reportedly sink more than a million dollar sign and multiple years break the “ anti - gravity ” AG7 pen when he submitted his designing for testing in 1966 . Two years later , Apollo 7 astronauts have a bun in the oven them into orbit .

The AG7 uitilizes a sealed pickup fill with gelled ink that liquefies only when exposed to pressure , handily provided by another cartridge satiate with neutral atomic number 7 gas . The tungsten carbide Biro steer forbid fundamental interaction between the ink and the surrounding environment , meaning the pen can drop a line upside - down , underwater , in temperature range from -30 to 250 degrees F , and of course , in the weightlessness of space .

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The Fisher Space Pen is still being made today , you could piece one up for $ 50 . As for the Russians ’ Space Pencils , release out graphite and Mrs. Henry Wood shavings make for an explosive miscellanea in the cramped , O - rich interiors of orbiters — as the Apollo 1 fire illustrated — and have since been replace with , what else , the Fisher Space Pen .

contain out the full story of America ’s fabled Anti - Gravity Pen over atthe Smithsonian .

trope : Fisher Space Pens ; USPTO

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