Cool pics of urban exploring, abandoned machines and stuff

Cool pics of urban exploring, abandoned machines and stuff

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Discussion

toohangry

416 posts

108 months

Monday 15th June 2015
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yellowjack said:
No idea if it's a genuine "Space Pen" though
It isn't.

yellowjack

17,065 posts

165 months

Monday 15th June 2015
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toohangry said:
yellowjack said:
No idea if it's a genuine "Space Pen" though
It isn't.
hehe

I thought as much wink

Butter Face

30,192 posts

159 months

Monday 15th June 2015
quotequote all
yellowjack said:
I'm sorry, but at 200°C the last thing I'd be thinking about is the whereabouts of a pen capable of writing a quick note... rolleyes
I'd be more concerned about the availability of something to write on hehe

Melman Giraffe

6,759 posts

217 months

Monday 15th June 2015
quotequote all
227bhp said:
Dr G said:
Anyone know the Russian for 'copycat' ? wink
Google 'Tupolev, Concorde'.
WTF



jogon

2,971 posts

157 months

Monday 15th June 2015
quotequote all
This is a genuine Fisher Space Pen



Can get them on Amazon but also sold at Cape Canaveral.

Steve vRS

4,836 posts

240 months

Monday 15th June 2015
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I had a genuine space pen, given to me by a supplier. I lost it.

I seem to remember that it looked nice and obviously had a back story, but was not that nice to write with.

Steve

ralphrj

3,508 posts

190 months

Monday 15th June 2015
quotequote all
JonRB said:
2ono said:
Wasn't there a story about the Americans spending a small fortune developing a pen that worked in space/zero gravity, the Russians just used a pencil.
Yes, there is that story. And it's completely bogus.

Both the Russians and the Americans started out with pencils, and they found that flakes of graphite from the pencils would float off and find their way into all sorts of places and cause short-circuits in electronics. The Americans then embarked on finding a better solution and came up with the pen.
If by 'the Americans' you meant NASA then it wasn't them that came up with the Space Pen.

The Space Pen was developed independently by industrialist and pen manufacturer Paul Fisher. NASA didn't ask him to develop it or pay him to develop it.

Fisher offered the Pen to NASA, who tested it and agreed to buy 400 for use in space. Years later the Russians bought some for their space programme too.


2ono

552 posts

106 months

Monday 15th June 2015
quotequote all
JonRB said:
Yes, there is that story. And it's completely bogus.

Both the Russians and the Americans started out with pencils, and they found that flakes of graphite from the pencils would float off and find their way into all sorts of places and cause short-circuits in electronics. The Americans then embarked on finding a better solution and came up with the pen.
I stand corrected, thank you, but I still think the urban myth sounds bettersmile

Melman Giraffe

6,759 posts

217 months

Monday 15th June 2015
quotequote all
jogon said:
This is a genuine Fisher Space Pen



Can get them on Amazon but also sold at Cape Canaveral.
I had one of these when i was at school 25 years ago, I was the envy of the class

DeuxCentCinq

14,180 posts

181 months

Monday 15th June 2015
quotequote all
Melman Giraffe said:
jogon said:
This is a genuine Fisher Space Pen



Can get them on Amazon but also sold at Cape Canaveral.
I had one of these when i was at school 25 years ago, I was the envy of the class
I had one actually from Cape Canaveral. Pretty sure James Barker stole it from my bag along with my copy of G-Loc for the Game Gear.

Melman Giraffe

6,759 posts

217 months

Monday 15th June 2015
quotequote all
DeuxCentCinq said:
Melman Giraffe said:
jogon said:
This is a genuine Fisher Space Pen



Can get them on Amazon but also sold at Cape Canaveral.
I had one of these when i was at school 25 years ago, I was the envy of the class
I had one actually from Cape Canaveral. Pretty sure James Barker stole it from my bag along with my copy of G-Loc for the Game Gear.
The scoundrel laugh

JonRB

74,402 posts

271 months

Monday 15th June 2015
quotequote all
ralphrj said:
If by 'the Americans' you meant NASA then it wasn't them that came up with the Space Pen.

The Space Pen was developed independently by industrialist and pen manufacturer Paul Fisher. NASA didn't ask him to develop it or pay him to develop it.

Fisher offered the Pen to NASA, who tested it and agreed to buy 400 for use in space. Years later the Russians bought some for their space programme too.
Yes, valid correction; I was a little ambiguous in my post. I knew that the Fisher Space Pen was independently developed by Fisher and sold to NASA.


Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Monday 15th June 2015
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ceebmoj said:
Condi said:
JonRB said:
Condi said:
Dr G said:
Anyone know the Russian for 'copycat' ? wink
Yes and no. There are some big differences between the 2. Mainly that the Buran is fully automated and computer controlled, whereas the Shuttle never was. Also different type of fuel used (solid/liquid) which gave it more maneuvering time in space.

http://www.buran.su/buranvssts-comparison.php
Although, as one of my teachers was want to remark, "these two pieces of work certainly appear to be somewhat... adjacent".
Oh yeah, but so far as the whole Russian space program was a copy once Sergei Korolev had died. In many ways the Russians won the space race, and they did far more, with far less, than NASA ever achieved.
The buran could also be fitted with turbo fan engines and fly under its own power in the atmosphere
I'm reading up on Shuttle development currently (book recommended by Eric MC); learning more on its Russian cousin is also on the list.

jogon

2,971 posts

157 months

Monday 15th June 2015
quotequote all
Melman Giraffe said:
I had one of these when i was at school 25 years ago, I was the envy of the class
Me too bought one in a gold brass colour on a trip to Florida aged 9 I think but lost it years ago then spotted them on Amazon about six months ago so went for Black Titanium Nitride Lacquer Finish this time. cool

JonRB

74,402 posts

271 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
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DickyC

49,547 posts

197 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
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ralphrj said:
Fisher offered the Pen to NASA, who tested it and agreed to buy 400 for use in space. Years later the Russians bought some for their space programme too.
Rats. I thought the only kit shared by both sides during the Space Race was the Omega Speedmaster.

tvrforever

3,182 posts

264 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
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Dr G said:
I'm reading up on Shuttle development currently (book recommended by Eric MC); learning more on its Russian cousin is also on the list.
OT - what's the book please?

Fer

7,707 posts

279 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
tvrforever said:
Dr G said:
I'm reading up on Shuttle development currently (book recommended by Eric MC); learning more on its Russian cousin is also on the list.
OT - what's the book please?
+1 Always keen to read a good book.

Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
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Goes into a surprising level of detail

http://www.amazon.co.uk/NASA-Space-Shuttle-Manual-...

RedLeicester

6,869 posts

244 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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One might count the Shuttle as somewhat extra-urban.