NASA's Million Dollar Space Pen vs The Soviet Pencils
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- The story of the NASA’s million $ space pen and the soviet pencils has become one of the enduring tales from the space race which still floats around the internet today and goes a bit like this.
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During the 1960’s as NASA was sending the first men in the space, they realise that pens don’t work in zero gravity, so they spent years and millions of tax payer dollars to develop one that did. Meanwhile, in the Soviet Union, the cosmonauts simply used pencils.
The moral of the story to many is that NASA was a wasteful government organisation that would be giving your hard earned TAX dollars to some greedy contractors charging sky high prices for a seemingly trivial object whereas the enemy, the Soviets, where common sense and practical.
But the story is a myth, however like all good myths it’s based on facts, facts which over time like Chinese whispers end up as grossly exaggerated stories which then are taken at face value and purport to be the real facts.
The true story of the “Space Pen” is a bit more down to earth and starts with a sandwich on the Gemini 3 mission of March 23rd, 1965.
The crew of the flight were Gus Grissom and John Young. After the mission, it came to light that John Young had smuggled a sandwich on board in his space suit pocket.
Although it had been allowed by the director of flight operations, it was frowned upon by the flight surgeon because when they took bites out of the two-day old sandwich in orbit, the crumbs floated around the cabin in micro gravity and that these could get into the electronics and cause a problem.
At the time, the astronauts had an exclusive deal with “Life” magazine and some thought that they had planned little stunts like this, so as to reveal them in upcoming articles. In the earlier Mercury missions, it had been common place for non-flight items to have been taken on board missions.
When it was then discovered that the two mechanical pencils the crew were using, cost $128.84 each ($986 today) and that NASA had bought 34 of them for a total of $4,382.50, the equivalent of $33,700 in 2017 prices, the press had a field day and there was a public outcry.
It turned out that the actual pencils cost $1.75 each but they had custom made housings so that the crew could hold and write with them whilst wearing their thick space suit gloves and it was the R&D and manufacturing cost of these housings which was where the bulk of the money had really gone.
The issue here is that people might not know what a flight computer or a rocket engine costs but when they see a pencil costing $128, they might well think what else have unscrupulous contractors been overcharging for.
After an investigation, as to what was being carried on to missions, it also turned out that they also had on board four Japanese Pentel pencils which cost $0.49c each, something NASA definitely didn’t want to be known about when they flew alongside the $128 American versions.
During the mid-1960’s, Paul Fisher, inventor and owner of the Fisher Pen Company patented what he called the “space pen”.
Fisher knew of the issues with the NASA pencils and had the idea of making a pen that would work in space. The Space pen had a cartridge pressurised with nitrogen and that used a special gel ink that became liquid when the ballpoint rotated against the gel. It could write at any angle, on almost any surface, in a vacuum, even underwater and work in temperatures from -46C to +71C.
However, he didn’t have any official backing, nor was he contracted by NASA, it was just his idea to make the perfect pen and he funded it privately by his company to the tune of a reportedly $1 million, how true that figure was, might be up for question but its where the $million price tag comes from.
As is often the case, reality is more interesting than fiction.
this face.......
Indeed.
Exactly. It's a very interesting story.
Nah, reality's still dull shit in comparison for most cases.
John McChicken Nah, these six minutes describe pure drama. Whereas the popular story about pencils v pens is inane at best, and very boring.
I'm a paramedic and swear by my fisher ag-7. It works great with big heavy gloves. I loved it so much that I asked fisher (who still makes it in the original factory on the original equipment) for one without the chrome plating since the underlying brass is antimicrobial. They said that they couldn't do that for me, but they had a prototype one in raw brass that they'd made years ago that they never went through with producing, and just gave it to me.
It's the ag-11 with a little space shuttle on the clip, but otherwise the same as the original 7. So now I have a literal one of a kind space pen from fisher.
Truly awesome company that makes a truly awesome product.
The fisher AG-7 is actually still made. On the same machinery to the same specifications in the USA. It is an immensely satisfying little pen, with a cool snap action and writes on ANYTHING.
Only costs about $30.
Andrew Harnsberger no! The cartridges themselves are pressurized with nitrogen and a special gel ink that only becomes liquid as the ball rolls past it, so you can use the entire ink cartridge as a result, too You just toss them when they're empty. The cartridges are about $5 but last quite a long time and the quality is superb. I am a diehard fountain pen user but sometimes you need a ballpoint, and I wouldn't trade my fisher space pen ag-7 for anything!
Colin I do agree. I used the Fisher pens while sailing, as it doesn't care about humidity, and writes on any surface. A very reliable pen.
There's a Fisher on my desk and in my pocket,how about you?
Lol, student ballpoint cost like 30¢ here
I use the bullet pen(like the one on the Seinfeld ep.). It is fantastic being a cook sometimes bits of oil or watery juices from whatever I am working on sometime spill on my papers yet I can still write on them. A slightly expensive buy, but with my name engraved on it for no extra cost nobody steals my nice pen anymore :P Btw - I am not a front for fisher... I just like their product/service.
Graphite conducts electricity, it was a problem in open circuit environment. Both Nasa and Soviets used pencils during the early days, both replaced them with these pens for the same reason. Still a great myth, unfortunately misleading.
spengu64 what about all the water. The astronots play with .they just love playing with H2O
Baba Loo70 are you sure they played it near electrical component?
Everything conducts electricity, but graphite is definitely much more conductive than the pen liquid. It's only exposed for a short amount of time as it's pressurized. So the chance of electricity conducting through it is very slim. Also graphite is extremely conductive so using it on a rocket ship is a big no-no.
Not sure graphite dust would cause a problem, considering how much they wrote, but if there was open circuitry, a snapped non-retrieved (lost) tip could certainly cause a problem. Good point. It was frequently that kind of out there stupid sounding stuff that caused problems, actually, like the switch in the wrong position causing all the stack overflow alarms on Apollo's first Moon landing. You could tell, by voice, heart rate, and the pointed "can you give me a reading on that" from Armstrong that it was bothering/distracting him. NOT a good time for that.
Coming from someone who has operated in a Navy engine room, we took a ton of logs, some hourly, some more frequently. There were some stations where you would log a hundred instruments every hour. I would imagine they wrote a ton of logs in the space program, but who knows. That could result in a lot of carbon particles deposited in the environment. Did they use conformal coatings on their circuit boards?
Do anyone else hear the high pitch dog whistle ( or ringing) sound at 0:50-0:53?
I thought nothing of that until this comment
Same lol
I thought I went deaf
Yeah, it rose in pitch very quickly then just stopped. Probably a sound issue.
Bomb has been planted.
And the winner is: Fisher! They still sell those pens today.
Seems like very well earned success. They saw a problem, engineered a solution, and sold it to these space agencies at a reasonable price. That’s capitalism at its best.
Helium Road yup! I bought a bullet style space pen at the Kennedy space center, complete with a nasa insignia on the cap.
Seriously?????
I got my first Space pen way back in 1969 or so, haven't had one in years but needed one for working in the rain... got one on the weekend and used it today, what a great pen!
bet ya guy did not pay 6 bucks for it like Russia did tho
3 Idiots anyone?
“Ye Astronosssstsss pen hai!”
Lol
@@realeyes8199 yeah, that's why I searched it
yup
Everyone knows communism is better capitalism
@@kredziigaming981 go to gulag blyat
astronaut: oh hey let’s use pencils
*5 minutes later*
astronauts: AH MY EYES ARE FULL OF PENCIL LEAD AND ERASER BITS
Fantastic! This story kind of...um...writes itself!
Jo Baecker I see what you did there...
I see what he wrote there...
*smiles* i get it
It’s a good thing that this piece of history hasn’t been... erased.
Ok, I'm gonna give u a like...only cause it's so dumb it's funny.
Oh man, I've heard this story told so many times, from professors to consultants, to all sorts of experts. Always with the moral of simplicity and efficiency. You're absolutely right when you say that rumors are eventually turned into truths.
Loved this video. Thanks for sharing it!
What a fantastic channel. You deserve more subs.
Or at least a compliment written with a space pen.
I am so sick of this myth being spread around. Thanks for this!
bamjo Still don't makeup for purchasing a $0.40 pencil for $120
@@cathyherrera7886 they eventually changed that. The space pen fixed the problem.
Why? Who the hell are you?
This is propaganda with clear political agenda. Quite possible that a lot more than a million was spent to promote and spread it.
@Bad Cattitude That's no myth, it's a fact, just like the fact that you're about as clever as an eight year old on glue
I have a Space pen I've used regularly for the past several years. Very cool when writing while lying on my back.
Got the pen. It writes amazing. Definitely works to at least -30 C. Can attest to that first hand.
I have a space pen and it was the best $25 AUD in my life. Totally worth it.
Back in the day, when I first heard of this, and "Soviet pencils", the *first* thing I thought was, "Graphite sure is conductive. Floating around and getting stuck in a switch *can't* be a Good Thing."
Yeah, this fear was one reason that they stopped using them. But still, pencils were used without problems by both the soviets and the US in the early days.
The dust is in reality too fine to cause problems with switches. The main reason for not using pencils is just the inconvenience of it all, when points break or wear out, you have to sharpen them constantly.
Yes, and when you sharpen them, it's not always dust sized pieces that come off.
RonJohn63 it has to bridge the gap so it's only a problem in computers and the pieces have to be bigger then half a mill
_it's only a problem in computers_
Why *only* computers?
Well regardless of how hazardous it actually is, you would want to cut down on the dust floating around in your cabin either way.
I have carried a space pen in my pocket for years and it is very useful in construction work. It writes on damp paper, it never leaks, it writes upside down and I have the version that comes apart to fit in my pants pocket. Great invention.
They make DayGlo Orange now and even a DayGlo Yellow. I got one of each for construction work and they are gems.
So...as always...I love your no nonsense down to earth accounts of these things. What I'd like to know however, is how long it takes you to research these seemingly trivial - but important - adjustments to public perception. Hats off to you!
Comon, what sounds cooler. A NASA space pen or a Soviet Pencil?
A soviet pencil sounds like some kind of punishment in a russian gulag
A red rocket? Wait, that sounds like something from the nether region of a dog.
and still NASA pays Russians to take them to space
Glorious Soviet pencil is better. Disagree and go to Gulag.
NASA pays Russians because someone has to pay Russians. If we didn't people that we didn't want to gladly would.
0:50-0:53 that sound is horrendous...some kind of high pitched note.
Steve Smith awful
Steve Smith I didn't even notice it until after reading this comment XD
What sound ?
Thank you for saying something lmaoooo
You know youve done something right when your boss got angry at you for "smuggling a sandwhich into space"
I love and have carried a Fisher Space PEN (pocket version) for DECADES! Highly recommended!
Great content and narration. Keep this up Curious Droid.
As all your other videos, loved this one as well. Thanks again for sharing information in a way dummies like me can comprehend :)
Anybody else think about the Seinfeld episode with the space pen? Lmao!
Take the pen!
Thank you for your content.
There was one part of this story that I was hoping you would mention.
On one of the moon missions, while the two astronauts were getting back in the LEM, while moving around with their backpacks on, one of them accidentally broke the arming switch for the rocket. They could not figure out what to do. They’re gloves were way to thick to arm the switch. So they had to come up with a different plan.
Sure enough, one of them figured out that if they took the pen apart, it was just the right size to fit over the steel nub left behind. As we I know, it worked!
You can read this in the small brochure that comes with the space pens. It is something that Fisher was quite proud about.
I have several. Great pen. (I do not recall which Apollo mission this occurred on.)
I give the Apollo 11 commemorative edition away as holiday gifts on Newton’s birthday. They have great Apollo engravings and they last a long time. I’ve used an AG7 in my cockpit for decades.
Talking about crumbs, there is another funny story involving modern day astronauts. Some time ago, and if memory serves me correctly, a new module was attached to the ISS and, to celebrate, the astronauts of the STS mission that brought that into space, had with them some delis from their homelands including some parmigiano from Italy. That was so crumby, that crumbs had stick all over the module and it had to be brought back to Earth for cleaning.
Pretty cool. I recently bought two Space Pens and have a couple of more soon coming in the mail. I'm a lefty and all of the pens I've boughten would skip due to the angle of my hand, and so it's a wonderful surprise to discover these pens with their old technology actually outperform more modern and expensive ones! As an added bonus they're made here in my state, Nevada!
Thanks much for posting this informative video!!:-)
My GF bought me the Fisher when I started flying. Best pen ever. After a year or so it fell out of my pocket while I was running into the heli I was about to fly... and got run over by an unknown airplane while we were up. Eventually I found it... It was flat, but still working! And I keep using it, as it now has the coolest CV of all the other pens around. The end.
Nice to finally understand that one
Our technology may lead to ten new products, or improved processes. Theirs leads to the pencil sharpener.
Ha! I never knew the true story. I actually bought a silver Fisher Space Pen back in the late 70s and then later bought the compact, capped (not clickable) pocketable version. I ALWAYS have one in my pocket!
Thanks for the cool story!
Still have it?
@@justinsincoise6693 The original? I wish!
i had no idea pens didnt work in space mind blown
This is freaking fantastic!! I love it! Your awesome!!
In 3 idiots, Rancho asked Dr Virus why the spacemen didn't use pencil instead of space pen as it could save up a million dollar.
When Dr Virus knew Rancho is an excellent student, he passed the space pen then told him that Space pen is a vital invention as the pencil lead could went to everywhere in zero gravity if the pencil head accidently break
India
WHAT a great story teller. This channel is one of RUclips's best. Learning has never been so interesting.
Around 2000 I was at my cardiologist, sitting in the waiting room. a very elderly man walked in and with two aids, he sat next to me. We made conversation and talked aviation. He asked if I had ever seen the pens astronauts used in space, I told him I knew they were special but id never seen one.
he reached into his pocket and gave me one. He said his company invented them and introduced himself an Mr. Fisher.
Very nice man, fun to talk to
love your space stories!!
I bought two of those at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in 1987. They lasted five years each. They were the only ball pens I had that did not dry out before they were used up.
Thanks for sharing that. You always hear that story floating around (pun intended).
Your delivery is just spot on. You know when to zing the line a bit and when its serious stuff. No bs, just the facts, really enjoy the videos.
Sweet. Very nicely done.
I've been carrying an AG-7 since the 1970s. I also made them mandatory on several government projects I worked on in the 80s and 90s. Great pen.
The fragments of the pencil lead are deadly in the weightlessness of the spacecraft, since flying in the cockpit, they can fly into the electrical networks of computers or power grids. The one who studied at school, understands what it means. This is a ready recipe for an accident.
Yes it is an extremely good conductor. I'm not sure why sticking it in a socket would do anything useful, though. Either it connects through your body and hurts you, or it doesn't and does nothing, since it's not completing any circuit, and pencils are not fork shapes to go in more than one socket hole at once.
Graphite is a conductor. It's less conductive than copper but has the same conductivity close to nichrome... which by the way, is what the heating elements in toasters are made of.
If a pencil lead breaks off & the crew doesn't catch it, it'll be floating around & could potentially short out electronic circuits. A mechanical pencil lead can short out the circuits, or become a heating element in an oxygen rich space capsule.
Also, pencil leads getting in astronauts eyes aren't pleasant.
+Jonathan Tan Not to mention ideally you don't particularly want mineral dusts in air people are going to breathe, human lungs don't take overly kindly to most solids getting stuck inside them. Sure probably would not inhale anything like enough on a 6 month mission to the ISS to cause issues but still probably best not to have astronauts inhaling the stuff when we do know full well that solid carbon dusts are well not good for lungs, just need to review the medical literature on coal miners to know that much.
Jonathan Tan ... eyes or lungs!
Well you can used alphabet soap, without the soap of course
I've heard this story and (muffled voice) retold it a few times. Thanks for setting the record straight.
Why is what he say's fact? I could be filmed saying the exact same thing. It doesn't make it true!!!!
@@wullymc1 i've watched many of his videos and have found him to be credible and interesting source of information. Make a video of your own and post the link in your reply. Then I can begin to form a judgement about your reliability.
I think he's a great source of information too. I'm also not saying he is wrong. What I said was because someone say's it's a fact doesn't mean it is. Fact!
Hahaha. I love an old myth being debunked.
I learned something new today and that's extra sweet.
You forgot the part where Buzz used his felt-tipped pen to push the ascent engine circuit breaker so they could take off from the moon. As space pen stories go, that's my favorite.
Tony Hammitt Actually the Fisher Pen was used to enable take off, ultimately allowing the astronauts to return home safely. Unfortunately the reason Buzz later claimed he used a felt pen (which would not write in zero g) is because he was disgruntled after seeking payment from Fisher for using his image in the space suit on some of their packaging and advertising materials, which the company refused to give because those pictures were/are considered public images. Without knowing the history, no one would even be able to tell it was Buzz. The amount he was asking for was, although I don’t know the exact amount, pretty high almost to the point of being considered ridiculous. Buzz did have his own struggles with alcoholism which may possibly have motivated him to seek out the money well after the historical event took place.
Yea thanks for 0:49, my ears are bleeding now
What?
Yeah why was that high pitched tone even there?
Same question.
I thought my tumor was acting up.
many people can't heart it... must be 16.000hz+ (something like that)
My dad me this ages ago:
‘Yea we spent millions on making this amazing space pen’
‘So did we’
‘What’s yours called?’
‘A pencil’
Who would smuggle a corn beef sandwich into space?. I guess astronaut food is not good at all lol.
Andres Romero -They were still just cocky test pilots who probably enjoyed giving the anxiety-ridden higher-ups grief as much as a little brother likes annoying his sister. Taking people used to high-stakes scenarios (ie. testing a plane, combat, etc) and putting them in a box to push buttons and follow instructions (instead of use their talent) is a recipe for pranks just to watch someone blow a gasket. From that perspective it’s really hilarious.
Try eating dehydrated spinach for a coupe days.
How about a golf club and golf balls to the moon.
Robert Beach for the longest golf drive in the galaxy... universe.
+Lavell Weathersby That's another myth. It's really hard to swing a golf club in a space suit (he had to do it one-handed) so it didn't actually go very far.
I really enjoyed this video, thanks for providing it.
wonder if etch-a-sketch works in zero gravity?
danceswithcritters if it doesn't work they will make it work- filming magic
Or a spirofoil
I found that the refills for the space pen fit the pen a friend of mine made me, cost $2 less than the ones it came with, and actually write on receipt paper. I love them.
This guy looks and sounds like the nicest guy ever. Great informative video, keep it up :)
I've used Fisher Space Pens since high school. They are great writing utensils that do everything that they clam. While I was in the military I used pens made by "rite in the rain" which are simply rebranded Fisher Space Pens. If you want a pen that you know will work whenever you can go wrong with a space pen.
Can't use pencil in space , bad idea , shrapnel will float and can enter nose or eye and could have caused damage to instuments
Nasa: **spends millions of dollars for a pen**
Pencils: Am I a joke to you?
Very interesting! =) Fantastic video!
After finishing the video, I questioned my existence, who the f*ck watches a video about spacepens at 1:41 AM
I use this pen going on 10 years in the army now, always in my wallet. It kicks butt.
I had a quick look - those Fisher Space pens now cost around $60. I can't say I'm not tempted but it's not worth owning something that expensive but so small that it's easier to lose than it is to buy.
"3 Idiots" movie fans will get the reference as well.
"THIS is for winners, NAAT loosers"
Salo ne logo ko chutiya banaya
Sales Executive Interview:
Sell me this pen
I love that little idiom about the development of the Space Pen. But then you learn the context of graphite and pencil shavings and how pencils are a much worse idea.
I did not know that the Russians ordered Space Pens, too! Talk about the shoe being on the other foot in this story!
Pens are permanent, pencils are temporary
3:04 Someone smuggled a bra onboard? Were they missing their partners and some hapless crew member had to dress up and 'take one for the team'.
Actually it's a well known fact that NASA cofunded the first space missions by selling shemale porn shot in space.
@@HankenORIGINAL Lmfao
Lol
LOL, I want to learn about the story behind that one. On second thought, maybe I don't want to know. Don't ask don't tell.
Someone's brown eye turned blue
Wonderful! This myth was widely circulated during my 1970s tween years, and I still believed it until I watched this video just now. Thanks for clearing that up.
Interesting stories! great channel!
0:50 thanks for that wonderful sound
And that Fisher pen saved two lives on Apollo 11. Neil inadvertently turned in his space suit when coming back inside the LEM and damaged a launch toggle switch for the ascent stage rocket. Buzz would later use the Fisher pen at the precise launch moment to jam it into the damaged toggle, lever it over, so they could take off. True story.
Robert Light sorry your true story is wrong. It's clearly stated in mission transcripts and Buzz's own writing it was a felt tip pen. The Fisher pen was metal and could conduct electricity arcing out the wires in the switch. The felt tip was a plastic case.
jerrywh3 Actually the Fisher Pen was used to enable take off, ultimately allowing the astronauts to return home safely. Unfortunately the reason Buzz later claimed he used a felt pen (which would not write in zero g) is because he was disgruntled after seeking payment from Fisher for using his image in the space suit on some of their packaging and advertising materials, which the company refused to give because those pictures were/are considered public images. Without knowing the history, no one would even be able to tell it was Buzz. The amount he was asking for was, although I don’t know the exact amount, pretty high almost to the point of being considered ridiculous. Buzz did have his own struggles with alcoholism which may possibly have motivated him to seek out the money well after the historical event took place.
I just bought a Fisher Space Pen yesterday, made in the US and sold for a reasonable $20, and will smoothly write for miles, so I thank the program today and ask you all to try one before buying disposable garbage writing instruments.
am I tripping or is there a dog whistle in the background?
David Malagon I hear it too! Not just on this video either. Wth
Whats with the high pitch (13HKz?) tone at 0:50.
Soviets: "Clearly pens don't work in space-"
*AMERICA* : *CAN WE FIX THIS* ?
I'm a recent subscriber, I'm hooked because your narratives are so well presented! Amazing channel!
I love seeing historic "truths" debunked like this... Brilliant!
Amazing story!
Cheers!!
The best video about this myth.
it's a win win for all side
US & Soviet get their space Pen
Pen manufacturer get a free advertising
I love it when someone smashes a stupid urban myth into the ground
Yet another brilliant video Paul ☺ keep up the good work
Well I paid 25 Euros for my Fisher Space pen!
Inflation?!
Fisher makes a lot of different models - offhand, you can spend anywhere from $10 to $80 for one.
You should have bought 400 to get a bulk discount
Back in the 60s I bought 2 of these l
pens as gifts at $10 each. They're nice pens.
I buy 2 space pen for 20$ each.I lost both of them :(
Put really pratical during winter
Research and development is an important part of everything, this experiment and concept can easily be applied to various applications throughout many different programs
Hey you.
Yeah you there scrolling the comments.
I know you're procrastinating!
I'll procrastinate tomorrow. Right now I'm diligently clearing out my "watch later" list. This is an important online housekeeping procedure that any responsible individual must periodically undertake.
Shut up!
I was procrastinating. Now I'm losing all hope for humanity, and fighting back the tears.
Never read the comments
Oh shoot you caught me
Damn it, caught me
If you are a space/science aficionado, this is, without a doubt, one of the best channels on RUclips. I often visit older videos like this one to make sure I'm remembering things correctly or to explore space/science trivia I've not checked into before. Top notch, well-researched content. Mr. Shillito is one of the best presenters of science, space and tech that I've ever seen/heard/watched.
Space Myth Busters :-)
00:40 I live right next to that and see it every day lol cool!! "Space Center Houston" what a coincidence!
i bet those non flat earthers are losing there minds now.
peace. haha #notaflatearth
@@henningfilms I think this dude just can't write a sentence
Me:"uses pencil in space"
Nasa:wait that's illegal
SEINFELD!!!
IKR
Veritech Girl Here, Take the pen! Take the pen! I want you to have it! TAKE THE PEN!
Neal Boortzman OMG Jerry! Why did you take his pen?!😡 He really loved that pen!
"Soo,,,, how's the new pen?"
Veritech Girl Alright! Alright! I'll give him back the pen! Geez! I didn't really want it anyways!
That was one story/myth from the Space Race I always liked and have shared with other people believing it was true :(.
Thanks Curious Drioid, for revealing the true story.
Chinese whispers?
A game traditionally played by children sitting in a large circle. The first child whispers a sentence or short story to the child next to them, who relays the story to the next child, etc. After the story has gone around the room and returned to the first child it has generally changed considerably.
Telephone
+Will. Yup.
Just found your channel. I always appreciate an intelligent person. Subbed.
Does this guy remind anyone else of the evil emperor palpetine from star wars?
Such a well rounded explaination video. Props
Love These Stories .... American Entrepreneurism Wins Again !!!
Chris Djernaes pretty Yeah! Americans can actually achieve anything as long as they really and I mean REALLY, REALLY set their minds at it.No contest. God bless the U.S.of A
Finally got one for my mom who has been in the industry for most of her 40 year long career along with her late father who worked directly on the space program (Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo then later on private planes for Northrop).
No regrets.
Soviets are smart in a funny way lmao
Jeff the Savage In that they bought the US pens?
@@bremCZ in that they were the first in space.
@@user-mo6cp3se7x That they were. I live on a street named after Garagarin.
to be fair a shard of pencil lead could get into someones eyes and you dont exactly want to deal with that in a tiny Zero G. Especially if death is possible.