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NASA spending millions to develop a zero-gravity pen while the USSR used a pencil. It's funny, believable, and false.
To clarify, pencils are a terrible idea in space due to graphite and shavings getting into electronics. Grease pencils were okay, but an independent businessman took his own initiative and funds to develop a zero g pen that was superior, which he sold to nasa at reasonable cost.
One thing you definitely don't want when your floating through microgravity a thousand miles from the ground is fragments of graphite flying into your incredibly sensitive electrical equipment.
The ISS orbits at about 400km, or about 250 miles.
"Thousands of miles" away from earth's surface would be further than any astronaut, except for the ones on Apollo 8, and 10-17, have ever been.
Oh in that case I'm sure pencils would be fine.
But it would be funny to watch them trying to use a pencil sharpener
So crayons instead?
What they were actually using prior to the space pen, and what the soviets used, were grease pencils, which really basically are crayons
Only if there are no Marine astronauts, otherwise they'll assume it's rations.
luckily they are all scientists, or navy/AF pilots, seals,,,etc.
Nah - they went with the pen