Let's get the famous story out of the way first. Everyone 'knows' that ballpoints didn't work in space, without gravity, so the Americans spent millions of dollars to develop a special pressurised ballpoint that did work in space. The Russians just used a pencil. Well, not really.

The Americans and Russians both used pencils. Paul Fisher, an inventer and pen maker, developed the pressurised refill, creating the 'Space Pen'. Then both the Americans and the Russians bought them from him and used them in space. Graphite is conductive, so snapped off bits of lead were considered a bit of a safety hazard floating around in a space capsule, so they were glad of a good alternative.

Oh, and standard ballpoint pens do work, and astronauts do sometimes use them, they're just not as reliable in zero gravity and extreme temperatures.

But Paul Fisher's Space Pen was reliable in these conditions, which makes it useful in all sorts of conditions, not just in space. They'll write better on damp paper, and greasy or dusty paper. They'll cope better in freezing conditions or excessively warm conditions. They have a much longer shelf life than standard ballpoints, too. They're just more reliable here on Earth, as well as in space.

Fisher Space Pen will be the Official Pen for all crewed missions with Axiom Space, starting with the current Mission Ax-2! For this partnership, Fisher Space Pen will see its Black Titanium Nitride Astronaut Space Pen (AG7-BTN) launched into space with the crew of AX-2, emblazoned with the Axiom Space logo. This partnership with Axiom Space extends the Fisher legacy and becomes one of the first of many commercial partnerships that Fisher is intending to solidify.

Not only will the AG7-BTN be the Officical Pen for all crewed missions, but Fisher will also be offering its Bullet Space Pen and M4 Cap-O-Matic Space Pen, donning the Axiom Space logo. This unique Navy Blue colour is from Cerakotes’s ‘ELITE’ series which is a step up from the classic H-series. The ‘ELITE’ series is known to rival Teflon with unmatched abrasion, corrosion, and chemical resistance, while maintaining a premium look and feel.  

Supplied with a black refill.