Each day with my 6th graders we watch CNN 10 (student news), and today they did a blurb on something called a Fischer Space Pen. This was a pen designed quite awhile ago, and apparently it has been used by NASA for some time.

Curious if anyone has used one of these pens. Supposedly they can write on wet paper, grease stained paper, in temps from -30 to 250 degrees F and the ink cartridges are pressurized so you can write in any position. Ordered one on Amazon for $15; figured it couldn't hurt!

Fischer Space Pen

I have one of the RITR pens which is very similar. They make really cool weather resistant notebooks of varying sizes as well. I believe they have a wax coating. Good stuff. Always bring mine along on trips

I had a couple of the originals a friend gave me maybe 25 years ago. They were pretty cool, don't know about the multi surface deal but they would write without regard to gravity. I don't know if that's a big deal for us here on earth but I still thought they were cool to have.

A variety of Space Pens and others, do not own any but buy mapping paper here.

buttead

I have a FSP "Cap-o-matic" that I use in my journal. I have not had occasion to use it in bad weather or greasy paper but I love the way it writes on both regular and waterproof paper. It is smooth and consistent without any "dry" moments.

If I remember correctly, I think the Boundary Waters Catalog used to sell the Space Pen. This was perhaps 25-30 years ago when the catalog was still printed on newsprint paper.

Not sure if this is true or not but I found it funny none the less. I remember being told what Russia's solution to writing in space was:

A pencil. :-)

I love them! Several different style to choose from. I have a couple bullet pens and a couple clickers. Not my favorite pen to write with but they always work.

quote SevenofNine: "Not sure if this is true or not but I found if funny none the less. I remember being told what Russia's solution to writing in space was:


A pencil. :-)"

You beat me to it.

I prefer a pencil for my trip journaling as well. But I do use the REI weatherproof journal notebook.

I once heard that NASA initially used but rejected pencils (Gemini/Mercury era) because the graphite dust and broken off lead bits could cause problems with the delicate electronics and/or the astronauts' health and the Fisher company already had the gravity-proof pen developed and offered it to NASA as an alternative to pencils... and that Russia also used them starting at the same time.

I've had two Fisher Space Pens. They write nicely, but I prefer rollerball gel pens for every day use. I got one specifically for trip journaling, then realized a good mechanical pencil is a better choice for me, and considerably less expensive.

quote hooky: "

quote SevenofNine: "Not sure if this is true or not but I found if funny none the less. I remember being told what Russia's solution to writing in space was:



A pencil. :-)"

You beat me to it.


"

Excellent! But will it work in the BW;-)

Has been on my wishlist for quite a while. Purchased one at Office Max a couple of weeks ago--with affixed stylus. A short little thing. How long it'll take for me to lose or misplace it is a concern as it doesn't have a shirt pocket clip nor lanyard.

I have the same one. When I opened the package, I couldn't get the lid off. There's no click to indicate you've pushed the lid to the desired depth, it only stays on by friction... and apparently the person (or machine) who put the cap on the pen pushed it down too far. I don't remember how I managed to loosen it.

But... I have no idea where it is now. I haven't seen it in months.

Also, the stylus tip didn't work on any of my devices. I was pretty disappointed in that.

I got a RITR field journal and a 3/4 length Fisher space pen last year. So far no complaints about either. I don't think I could handle one of the little tiny pens.

This is the pen I got

I didn't know that they still made these.

I frankly might have a problem if my 6th grader was watching CNN in school.
Too political.

I frankly might have a problem if my 6th grader was watching CNN in school.
Too political.

quote yogi59weedr: "I frankly might have a problem if my 6th grader was watching CNN in school.
Too political.
"

Then I am glad you child is not in my classroom. Heaven forbid teaching politics to the next generation of voters. We sure do not want that. And while I am at it, have you ever watched CNN 10? It is geared to middle and upper school kids. Award winning show, but I guess if you want to control what your kids see, hope they enjoy Bugs Bunny.

In the meantime, I received my Space Pen today, and it rocks!! Of course, had I not subject my students to the CNN 10 broadcast, I would know nothing of said pen. But then again, my students would be safe from exposure to world events and we could all do our dot to dots happily and in peace.

Actually my kids are in their early 20s. Never heard off CNN 10. I'm gonna stand by my beliefs that teaching kids about politics.in middle schools No. Functions of government .yes. So moving on.....

quote SevenofNine: "Not sure if this is true or not but I found it funny none the less. I remember being told what Russia's solution to writing in space was:


A pencil. :-)"

It's true

quote yogi59weedr: "Actually my kids are in their early 20s. Never heard off CNN 10. I'm gonna stand by my beliefs that teaching kids about politics.in middle schools No. Functions of government .yes. So moving on....."

Can you explain to me why? I taught middle school for 35 years and I'd like to hear your reasoning.

Well I was moving on but.....
When I first read the post I did not read the 10 after CNN. That is why I stated we should not be watching CNN and talking about politics with our impressionable little kids.

About functions of our government yes.
Then I was hit with the bugs bunny s***. I'm sure that watching a program put out by CNN on a daily basis is not part of the required curriculum set forth by the school board and the state's dept.of education.
With that being said, I will stand by my statement.Not sure I want someone talking politics to a 6gr
I was on my town school board for 12 yrs. Was elected to another 4 years but resigned so a younger guy that lost could be appointed. My kids were on the way out his was on the way in.

quote yogi59weedr: "Well I was moving on but.....
When I first read the post I did not read the 10 after CNN. That is why I stated we should not be watching CNN and talking about politics with our impressionable little kids.


About functions of our government yes.
Then I was hit with the bugs bunny s***. I'm sure that watching a program put out by CNN on a daily basis is not part of the required curriculum set forth by the school board and the state's dept.of education.
With that being said, I will stand by my statement.Not sure I want someone talking politics to a 6gr
I was on my town school board for 12 yrs. Was elected to another 4 years but resigned so a younger guy that lost could be appointed. My kids were on the way out his was on the way in."

Sounds like you automatically dismissed it because it had the the letters CNN. Obviously you never watched it. My wife uses CNN10 in her class all the time for science news, current events, and fun facts like the pen mentioned in the OP,not politics. Supplements like CNN 10 are great tools to create class discussion and critical thinking. As a former school board member I'm sure you would know that those are part of a state curriculum .

I did miss read the op. My bad. And it is obvious i have never seen cnn10.
I'm all for tools to teach. I quess my point was politics and 6 graders.
Then I was hit with a heaven forbid teaching politics to our next generation.
From there I will still stand on my statement about teaching politics to 6th graders.
For one I would like to know the teachers qualifications for doing that. Is there even a workshop for teaching politics to 6th graders...
Not accusing any one but it leaves open teaching ones own beliefs and best be left alone.
Class discussion and critical thinking are great. Probably best be left alone until they mature a little...

quote yogi59weedr: "I did miss read the op. My bad. And it is obvious i have never seen cnn10.
I'm all for tools to teach. I quess my point was politics and 6 graders.
Then I was hit with a heaven forbid teaching politics to our next generation.
From there I will still stand on my statement about teaching politics to 6th graders.
For one I would like to know the teachers qualifications for doing that. Is there even a workshop for teaching politics to 6th graders...
Not accusing any one but it leaves open teaching ones own beliefs and best be left alone.
Class discussion and critical thinking are great. Probably best be left alone until they mature a little..."

This is just too important of a topic for me since I spent the majority of my life in the education field. So has my wife Here are the facts.
1) Teachers in middle school do not spend precious class time preaching their political views . They don't have the time. Too busy trying to teach the state mandated lessons and dealing with discipline and personal issues with their students. Did you have problems with teachers in your district doing this?
2) CNN 10 is not Political. I stand on my statement that your issue is with CNN. What if it was FOX kids news?
3) As a former School Board member where you aware of all of the teachers certifications and workshops they engaged in. Or where you more focused on the business end of running a school district?

Blatz. Your getting a little heavy for me,so.....no need to attack..... I admitted I misread the original post. See my previous post..

My issue here is not with the program. I've cleared myself, I miss read..
As for the politics I was again responding to Frenchy post after that. Or should I say rant...
Heaven forbid TEACHING POLITICS to the next generation of voters. We sure do not want that.. I still think that's a little young. Right wrong I don't know .just my belief
...not gonna argue about it....

Then I read the part where my students would be safe from exposure to world events and we could all do our dot to dots happily and in peace....WOW
..
FORGET about the part where I want to control what your kids see. Hope they enjoy bugs bunny.....double wow.
Actually I just spoke to our superintendent and he reported that no where in our districts curriculum and state curriculum is any thing about the teaching of politics in 6th grade mentioned.
Nor would it be tolerated...

As for my school board time ...Yes we were all aware of our teacher certification and work shops. Our superintendent kept us informed at meetings We are a small 200 kid middle school. We actually called it Camelot....We mainly only over see policy..He ran the school.
We payed for our teachers to continue their education and earn their masters

So that's where I'm at.

Very little of CNN 10 is political. Today, for example, the three main segments focused on the use of drones in various capacities and the idea of editing DNA. Each segment also ends with a light hearted piece where the anchor (Karl Azuz) ends the show with a bunch of puns that the kids love. Today the last segment was about a Chinese college student who set the world record for the most finger snaps in 60 seconds. Not much to offend anyone there, I would venture.

And when politics are discussed, I would argue that is a good thing. Kids are not dumb, and they want to know what is happening in their world. Teaching government functions is all good and well, but so is teaching them how to think independently based on evidence they digest. After all, that it what a democracy is built on; people knowing what is happening, reflecting on it and making informed decisions. At least that is what Jefferson thought, and I will defer to him.

And the Space Pen still rocks, my students love it (one boy spit on a piece of paper and found the pen still wrote in his saliva!) and we still watch and talk about US and world events via CNN 10 every day, baby!

In Texas, our teachers have to spend an entire six weeks teaching the kids how to pass the standardized test that changes acronyms every 3 years. They sure don't have time for politics when they have to get everything else that all the courses require in around that time.

I'm sure the school board approved the purchase of cnn10 as a learning tool. Keep on teaching frenchy... Maybe teach em about that maple sap. I wished I'd of learned about that earlier in life. I hope we're good.

quote yogi59weedr: "I'm sure the school board approved the purchase of cnn10 as a learning tool. Keep on teaching frenchy... Maybe teach em about that maple sap. I wished I'd of learned about that earlier in life. I hope we're good."

The beauty is that it streams free...no worries!! And, btw, we do tap trees in the spring...

Awesome....