Fisher Space Pen - Bullet Pen
Fisher Space Pen
The Fisher Space pen is unique because it writes in zero gravity, in extreme temperatures, underwater, and on wet and greasy paper. The Bullet Pen is the flagship product of the Space Pen Line, fitting neatly into a pocket. There is a bullet style pen on permanent display at the New York Museum of Modern Art, having been cited as an example of 'exquisite industrial design'. The space pen was also featured on the episode ‘The Pen’ on Seinfeld.
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Classic Bullet Pen   Bullet Pen with Clip
Bullet Pen with Shuttle Emblem   Lacquer Bullet Pen

The Bullet Pen

  • The bullet pen is a pocket sized pen that extends to fit comfortably in your hand
  • Length; closed=9.5cm, open=13.5cm

The Fisher Space Pen Technology

  • The pressurized ink cartridge allows the user to writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, over wet and greasy paper, at any angle and in extreme temperature ranges.
  • The pen can write at altitudes up to 12,500 feet (3810 m). Operating temperatures range from -30 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (-35 to 120 degrees Celsius).
  • The ink is forced out by compressed air at a pressure of nearly 35 pounds per square inch (240 kPa).
  • A sliding float separates the ink from the pressurized gas, and the ink is forced out by compressed nitrogen.
  • It has been claimed that Fisher Space Pen refills can write for 3 times longer than a standard ballpoint pen. The thixotropic ink in the hermetically sealed and pressurized reservoir is claimed to write for three times longer than a standard ballpoint pen
  • The ballpoint is made from tungsten carbide and is precisely fitted in order to avoid leaks.

History of the Fisher Space Pen

Paul C Fisher showed a natural skill for engineering at a very early age, and went on to study Science at Kansas University in 1938. He was introduced to the world of pens in 1945 when Milton Reynolds of Chicago invented the first ballpoint pen. Although his invention attracted interest, it soon wore off as people realized it was of inferior quality. Reynolds turned to Paul Fisher for help.

Paul Fisher helped Reynolds create a new ballpoint pen by supplying him with the parts he requested. Reynolds soon retired from the pen business a multi-millionaire, and Paul Fisher saw the opportunity to develop the ballpoint pen. In 1948 he discovered his most influential invention, a small pocket pen that is now known as ‘the Bullet Pen’. A success from the start, the Bullet pen is the flagship pen of the Space Pen line.

During the 1960’s, at the height of the ‘Space Race’, Mr Fisher realized the need for a pen that wrote in zero gravity. At the time, astronauts used grease pencils and plastic slates. This was not a satisfactory solution though because of the danger that a broken-off pencil tip poses in zero gravity and the flammable nature of the wood present in pencils. Consequently Paul Fisher invented the pressurized ink cartridge, which was adopted by NASA. The Fisher Space Pen was used during the Apollo program, went to the moon and is used today on manned space flights.

Fisher Space Pen Rumour

It has been claimed that during Apollo 11, a Fisher Space Pen was used to press the button which would enable them to fire the engines to help them return to earth. Astronauts had accidentally snapped the switch, and thus a poking device was required.  Buzz Aldrin has stated that he in fact used a felt-tip pen.