How the Fisher Space Pen saved the Apollo 11 Mission in 1969

It's a story that for many years was not circulated outside the inner circles of the U.S. Space Program: the Fisher Space Pen helped the original Moon-landing astronauts; Neil Armstrong and Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin get back to Earth. A spokesman for NASA recounted the story to Paul C. Fisher, whose company manufactured the pen. When about to leave the Moon and the astronauts were climbing back into the Lunar Module (LM), the life support backpack on one of the astronauts brushed against the plastic arming switch and broke it. The switch was to have activated the LM's engine for the module's rendezvous with the mother spacecraft.

Aldrin informed Houston's Space Centre by radio. A scientist went to work on the problem immediately by breaking the plastic switch on a duplicate module and then studying the possibility of reaching a tiny metal strip inside the switch. The strip had to be flipped over to one side to activate the LM engine, but Ground Control knew the astronauts had dispensed with practically all tools in the interest of less weight. But they still had their Space Pens, and so were advised to retract the point and use the hollow end of the pen to activate the inside switch. Aldrin then used his Space Pen to flick the switch, lifting Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin safely to the moon.

The story came out after John McLeish, a NASA public relations official, was quarantined with Armstrong and Aldrin upon the astronauts return from their space trip. McLeish told Fisher of the emergency on the Moon, related to him by the astronauts. "If it hadn't been for the Fisher Space Pen the astronauts might still be up there on the Moon".

Today, the Fisher Space Pens (or rather, the Fisher Astronaut Pens) are used on all American and Russian manned spaceflights. Because of the unique pressurized refill an Astronaut Pen works under extreme conditions. Luckily us Earthlings can also benefit from these unique characteristics. A Fisher Astronaut Pen works under any angle (including upside-down), under any weather condition (freezing cold, extreme heat) and on virtually any surface (the Fisher Space Pens even work underwater!). Get your own Astronaut Pen today and enjoy the benefits of a writing instrument on which you can always rely. The Fisher Astronaut Pen, anytime, anywhere, always. And that's a promise!

The Fisher Space Pen uses a pressurized refill which makes it write under extreme conditions. For more information you can browse through our stories section.

Apollo 11 lift-off is successful!

Apollo 11 crew

The Fisher Space Pen being used in.. space!

Original Fisher Astronaut Pens - Today's Fisher Astronaut Pens

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