Urban legend has it that the U.S. spent millions on a pen that could work in zero gravity -- while the Russians simply used pencils. In reality, space pens were indeed used in some of the first space missions, but NASA had nothing to do with their invention, and the pen didn't cost millions.
Misconceptions
Originally, NASA equipped astronauts with mechanical pencils at a cost of over $100 each, according to the NASA website. Public outrage at this spending caused them to look at cheaper, regular pencils.
History
Paul C. Fisher created the space pen in 1965, which had a pressured cartridge for zero-gravity writing, but he did this without the request or funding of NASA, according to NASA. Immediately after perfecting the space pen, however, Fisher sent a sample to NASA and they purchased 400 at $2.95 each, according to Snopes.com.
Benefits
While pencils are cheaper than space pens, regular pencils are dangerous aboard a space shuttle because their tips can break off and harm the astronauts or their sensitive equipment. Also, lead pencils are a fire hazard, according to "Scientific American."
Tags: according NASA, each according, regular pencils, space pens
