
NASA: Astronaut Pen - tosh
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-write-stuff/
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bradwood
As an avid fan and long time user of the Fisher Space Pen which I carry on me
at all times, I've heard this anecdote many times.

The urban legend defence of the space pen is that the Russian's didn't realise
that graphite in pencils conducts electricity and so unwittingly sent their
cosmonauts up with a means of short circuiting mission-critical circuitry
aboard the spacecraft. Pencils give off filings and need to be sharpened after
all.

In other words, it was a Soviet expediency that, not unlike Chernobyl, ended
up being an epic fail.

Regardless of the veracity of this anecdote, Fisher's pen is an excellent item
and a great gift. The ergonomics, ability to write upsidedown and the size of
it make it a must-have IMHO.

