NASA's $12 Billion Zero-Gravity Space Pen

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered the ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 Billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300C...

....The Russians used a pencil.

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If it ain't broke, fix it till it is!

Sad but true.