There's always google, which turned this up as hit #3 on "nasa zero gravity pen", after a couple $20 items for sale. hoaxinfo.com
Space Pen Causes No Red Ink
First Published February, 2002
The Fisher Space Pen, the official pen of the NASA Space Program, was not developed at a cost of $12 billion dollars. It actually cost just over $1 million dollars to perfect, AND it was financed completely by private funds. No tax money was used in the research and development of the pen. This contradicts an e-mail currently circulating which backhandedly accuses the NASA of spending $12 billion dollars to develop a space pen instead of using pencils.
In an effort to exaggerate the wastefulness of government it seems some people will go to any extreme, including fabricating stories. The truth is that the government may indeed spend too much money on some items, however there are other times it deserves credit for saving the taxpayer's money. Even when it does act frugally, I assure you that it will rarely get credit for it.
The e-mail points out that the Russians use pencils. Actually, it was quickly realized that the pencil was a danger in a zero-g environment. The graphite "lead" of the pencil can break off, and as a conductor of electricity it can wreak havoc with computer circuitry. It can also float into the eyes, or mouths of the astronauts at crucial moments jeopardizing the mission. Since pencils are made of wood they are considered possible fire hazards, as well.
Here is the hoax letter circulating via e-mail:
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered
that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity?
To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 Billion
to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost
any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300C.
The Russians used a pencil.
[see also snopes2.com ] |
