Pens and pencils are among the simplest technologies used in space. Mechanical pencils like this one are preferred to regular pencils because they do not need to be sharpened, thus avoiding bits of wood debris in the crew cabin. NASA modified these standard commercial products slightly for use in space, adding a piece of Velcro and a short tether cord. These additions enabled an astronaut to keep the pencil attached to a notebook or place it somewhere handy without its floating around in microgravity.

NASA transferred this pencil and a variety of other crew equipment to the Museum in 2012 when the space shuttle program ended.

Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.

Object Details

Country of Origin

United States of America

Type

EQUIPMENT-Miscellaneous

Manufacturer

Skilcraft

Dimensions

3-D (Pencil): 14.7 × 0.7 × 1cm (5 13/16 × 1/4 × 3/8 in.)
Other (Tether Length): 44.5cm (17 1/2 in.)

Materials

plastic, metal, velcro, fabric, rubber

Inventory Number

A20130275000

Credit Line

Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Data Source

National Air and Space Museum

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.