Most versatile pen
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- Who
- Fisher Space Pen Co.
- What
- First
- When
- 1968
The Space Pen range made by Fisher Space Pen Co. (USA) use special nitrogen-pressurised cartridges to dispense visco-elastic ink. This allows these pens to work perfectly upside down, and under a wide range of environmental conditions including extreme heat and cold, underwater and even the zero gravity of space. They were first used in space on the Apollo 7 mission in 1968 and have become the standard pen for astronauts, including those currently working on the International Space Station.
The ink is pressurised at nearly 50 psi and is fed to a tungsten carbide ball point. Inside the cartridge, the ink has a consistency similar to that of thick rubber cement. The shearing action of the ball point rolling in its socket liquifies the ink allowing it to flow out like any normal ball point pen.
Astronauts on early missions in NASA's space programme used pencils to write with until the advent of the Space Pen.
The range of Space Pens is widely available to the general public and are also widely used by law enforcement and emergency service personnel, who often need a reliable pen in different outdoor conditions.
Astronauts on early missions in NASA's space programme used pencils to write with until the advent of the Space Pen.
The range of Space Pens is widely available to the general public and are also widely used by law enforcement and emergency service personnel, who often need a reliable pen in different outdoor conditions.