The Time NASA Spent Millions on a Pen...

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Ah yes, the legend:
America drops millions inventing a “space pen.”
Russia? “Bruh, here’s a pencil.”

It’s one of those Cold War stories that sounds like a dad joke with a history degree. Except — like most dad jokes — it’s only half true.

For decades, people told this story as proof of American over-engineering.

NASA:

Taxpayers:

NASA:

Meanwhile in Moscow: Ivan just sharpens a pencil and goes back to doodling Lenin in space.

It’s a meme before memes were even a thing.

Here’s what actually happened:

NASA never spent millions. The pen was developed by a private guy named Paul Fisher (yes, Fisher Pen Company), who then sold it to NASA.

Fisher spent his own money — about $1 million — to create the “Space Pen.”

NASA bought the pens later… for about $2.39 each. That’s less than a Starbucks latte.

So technically, NASA didn’t waste taxpayer money. But don’t worry — they found plenty of other ways to do that.

Turns out, pencils in space are actually a bad idea.

Pencil tips break off → tiny shards float around → astronauts inhale them → not great for lungs.

Graphite is conductive → loose dust could short-circuit equipment.

Also, flammable wood in oxygen-rich cabins? Let’s just say “not the vibe.”

So pencils weren’t the galaxy-brain solution we thought.

This is basically the 1960s version of:

Americans:

Russians:

The space pen story reminds us:
Simple solutions work… until you’re choking on pencil crumbs in zero gravity.

Overcomplication isn’t always bad — especially if it keeps your spaceship from turning into a $2 billion sparkler.

And when in doubt, maybe don’t bring flammable sticks of wood into an oxygen-filled metal tube hurtling 17,000 mph through space.

So next time someone drops this story at dinner, you can lean back, smirk, and say:

Share this with that one friend who still thinks NASA wasted billions on pens while Russia raided the Dollar Tree for pencils.

Or Send it to that sexy astronaut in your contacts 🚀

If you’re a sexy astronaut then Subscribe…..

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