Zero Gravity.

[padi56]

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $1 million 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 300 C. The Russians used a simply used a pencil.

The story goes a bit like this. NASA held a press conference that was also attended by members of the Russian space program. During the press conference a NASA spokesman explained how the writing in zero gravity problem was approached. After elaborating about the marvels of the Fisher Space Pen the gathered US press smugly turned to one of the Russian members to ask how they had tackled this problem. The alleged answer was: “Tovarich, we, the people of the great CCCP have devised a 10 cent solution, we use a pencil”.

[Vincent65]

Classic - NASA could also just have used a fine felt-tip marker pen...

[FeelingTheBlues]

[Art 1]

[brkanand]

Hmmm...

[Bangel]

Yes, but then the Russians forgot to bring a pencil sharpener!

[Glenn422]

[77T]

[eric23]

[artschool]