At 11:16 PM 11/7/02, Jon Gabriel wrote:
Leo: "We spent millions of dollars developing a pen that could write in space. Do you know what the Russians did?"
Josh: "Used a pencil?"
Leo: "Used a pencil."
~The West Wing~
However, there was at least one good reason that NASA chose not to use pencils: the wood and graphite shavings generated by sharpening a pencil would float in the air in microgravity, (1) being breathed in by the astronauts and (2) perhaps getting into the electronic equipment and causing short circuits (graphite being a conductor) or sparks, which would have been fatal in the pure oxygen atmosphere used prior to the Apollo 1 fire.
-- Ronn! :)
Ronn Blankenship
Instructor of Astronomy/Planetary Science
University of Montevallo
Montevallo, AL
Disclaimer: Unless specifically stated otherwise, any opinions contained herein are the personal opinions of the author and do not represent the official position of the University of Montevallo.
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