How Do Astronauts Write In Space?

The Fisher Space Pen has captured the American imagination in numerous ways, appearing frequently in pop culture, including a "Seinfeld" episode titled "The Pen." In 2021, it was even inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame. Despite being the subject of a myth that NASA spent millions to invent a pen that can write in zero gravity, while cosmonauts simply used a pencil, the Space Pen is indeed a real thing.

During the Apollo 7 mission in October 1968, Commander Walter Schirra demonstrated weightlessness by blowing on a Fisher Space Pen to control its movement as it floated around the capsule. This was one of the first live video transmissions from an American spacecraft. Space Pens have since made appearances in various television shows such as "Mad Men," "Gilmore Girls," and "How it's Made," and they are also on display in space museums and the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Why Don't NASA Astronauts use pencils?

NASA sought an alternative to pencils due to the risk of broken lead floating and posing a threat to astronauts and delicate electronics onboard the spacecraft. Similarly, Space Pens have been in use by cosmonauts since 1969.