Priceless Realities

[Schmieder]

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 $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 300°C.

The Russians used a pencil.

[95SleeperAcheiva]

As much as this made me laugh, and yes it REALLY made me laugh!
There are already too many fools out there that try to kill the space program every chance they get. Please don't give them more ammo.
The administration is what is screwing the space program, not the program itself.
Many of the alloys in the cars you are on this site for come from space research. And millions of other technologies were developed because of the space program that benefit us today. Actually, you wouldn't have been able to write that post without the space program.

[Schmieder]

As much as this made me laugh, and yes it REALLY made me laugh!
There are already too many fools out there that try to kill the space program every chance they get. Please don't give them more ammo.
The administration is what is screwing the space program, not the program itself.
Many of the alloys in the cars you are on this site for come from space research. And millions of other technologies were developed because of the space program that benefit us today. Actually, you wouldn't have been able to write that post without the space program.

Man, you and me both! So we got some nice alloys, yes, but you also have a 12 billion dollar pen in the glove box too, lol.

Don't worry, nano tech is going to hit the scene soon. We'll have steel so strong it'll boggle the mind. A fully loaded aircraft carrier could be hung by a diameter of nano-steel the size of a pencil.

Could you imagine just how strong future pistons, valves, rods, blocks, etc. will be? Technology is amazing!

Nano steel is already produced, it's just to expensive until it's mass produced.

[unchained01]

http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp Can u tell me where you got your info ? I agree nasa and the military has made life easier but 12 billion ? I also own a few of these pens and use them to this day They work very well in cold temps I work outside all year and it has never failed me

[mickaz]

in wiki they said the pen was made by an independent firm and then sold to NASA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Pen

[unchained01]

yes sir thats what my post says also and that he invested over a million testing pressurized pens then sold them for 2.95 in '67 thast was expensive at that time

[Schmieder]

I don't have a solid source, it was by word of mouth around the circle. I thought it was hillarious, decided to share it. Maybe I should have noted that, oh well.

I am not surprised if the data is off or wrong to some degree, but it still says a lot.

Amazing what amount of money and effort goes into something as simple as a pen!

[Schmieder]

http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp Can u tell me where you got your info ? I agree nasa and the military has made life easier but 12 billion ? I also own a few of these pens and use them to this day They work very well in cold temps I work outside all year and it has never failed me

Yup, it appears I may have quoted bad info. But still, the jist is the same.

[unchained01]

No harm , No foul . What i thought was funny is that he invested a million to sell them for 3 bucks "Spend a dollar to save a dime" thinking And the bragging rights to say he had the first pen in space

[Schmieder]

No harm , No foul . What i thought was funny is that he invested a million to sell them for 3 bucks "Spend a dollar to save a dime" thinking And the bragging rights to say he had the first pen in space

haha, sometimes business doesn't work out they way we like. There could have been some back alley deals? Maybe a free ride to space so he can join the 130 mile high club, hehe.

Every guy has thought about zero g ass, and only a handful may have ever had it.

[pocket-rocket]

At least the pens should be turning a profit by now