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Writing in Space with a Cheap Ballpoint Pen

Posted by michael on from the flic-my-bic dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Some days bring big surprises. Like many people, I always believed that it was impossible to write in space with ordinary pens because ink would not flow. So imagine my astonishment when I read Pedro Duque's diary from space this morning. Pedro Duque is an astronaut since 1992. Now, he's on board of the International Space Station (ISS) since October 18, 2003. And he's writing -- from space -- with a cheap ballpoint pen, like Russians apparently always did: 'So I also took one of our ballpoint pens, courtesy of the European Space Agency (just in case Russian ballpoint pens are special), and here I am, it doesn't stop working and it doesn't "spit" or anything.' Isn't it amazing? This summary contains more details and a photograph of Pedro Duque on board ISS." Note that NASA didn't go crazy developing a pen for space. Surface tension is the important factor for all pens, not gravity.

12 of 298 comments (clear)

  1. Grow your pens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    FP!

  2. fp? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    from oslo airport oslo...

  3. And what were the first words written? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    FIRST POST!!!

  4. moron the /. stock markup fraud execrable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    selling your co. to the public without the hostage mandates of BearonStearno, GoldMineSacks, Gates0fHell & the other felonious stock markup execrable, may prove difficult/meet resistance from the whoreabull gangsters of wall street of deceit, but could possibly change everything, again.

    as we know, the daze of the phonIE ?pr? ?firm? scriptdead georgewellian fuddite payper liesense softwar gangster stock markup fraud execrable billyonerrors, is WANing into coolapps/the abyss, at the speed of right.

    seems to us, that coughing up dough for a search engine co., would be like some loan that should be repaid with interest, as opposed to some pyramid payper 'stock' (yet another nearly ruined word, tell 'em robbIE?) scheme, that leaves the public betting against one another, causing even more hysterical 'momeNTdumb'.

    the lights are coming up now.

    consult with/trust in yOUR creator..... that's the spirit.

  5. In soviet russia... by Kujah · · Score: -1, Troll

    In soviet russia, we use pencil. What happened to the millions of dollars spent on NASA's space pen that writes underwater and such?(I use mine for crosswords :) )

    1. Re:In soviet russia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      This link was present in the Slashdot headline.

      Good show actually: I've often thought the editors should add all the expected (usually porn based) inevitable stupid comments as template replies at the time the story is submitted, and have language recognition software find matches and pre-moderate the witless down to -1.

  6. the only time when a mother russia joke will work. by hatrisc · · Score: -1, Troll

    in space, mother russia writes you!

    --
    I write code.
  7. reading space, as it applies to newclear power by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    no need to be upset, change is inevitable. get ready to see the light.

    ABC News
    How Intense Solar Activity Can Upset Earth-Based Technologies
    ABC News - 45 minutes ago
    Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have spotted two very active regions of the sun, one of which hurled a coronal mass ejection, or CME, into space and toward Earth.
    Boulder researchers forecast a sizable geomagnetic storm Boulder Daily Camera
    National Briefing: Science and Health New York Times
    Journal Times Online - MSNBC - Standardbred Canada - CBC News - and 88 related

  8. Finally, a return on our investment by humpTdance · · Score: 0, Troll
    Is this why pens and hammers cost so much at NASA?

  9. Re:the only time when a mother russia joke will wo by gazbo · · Score: -1, Troll

    Unbelievable. You've managed to fuck up a Soviet Russia joke. I am incredulous.

  10. Solviet Russia by KevetS · · Score: 0, Troll

    In Solviet Russia, the pens write on you!

    Yes, even in space.

    --
    This is my United States of whatever.
  11. Re:the only time when a mother russia joke will wo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    that's not fucked up at all. it's actually funny. in fact much more funny than other of those stupid jokes.