| From: | Neil Bothwick |
| Date: | 8 Aug 2000 at 11:24:29 |
| Subject: | Re: Technology (Re: Printing text on newer printers) |
Bill Eaves said,
> Because a normal ballpoint would not work too well in zero-G, NASA spent
> millions in developing one that would work. They did it and of course it
> worked and was a triumph in modern technology.
> The Russians had the same problem, but they solved that by taking a pencil
> instead.
However, the NASA pen also works in water. NASA have sold the pens to
Armies, Navies and Air Forces worldwide, more than covering the
development costs, whereas the market for Russian pencils never really
took off.
A less successful example was their attempt to design an electric shaver
that worked in zero-G. A normal one released cuttings and dust, which
would interfere with the equipment, so they invested a huge amount of
money in designing a shaver with a built in vacuum cleaner, one that
caught every cutting. Meanwhile, the astronauts were using shaving foam
and a safety razor, all the cuttings stuck in the foam :)
Neil
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