Fisher Space Pens to fly with Blue Origin crews as 'official ballpoint'
Fisher Space Pen has some new Blue ballpoints.
The maker of the pressurized-ink writing instruments used by astronauts to scrawl in space has partnered with Blue Origin to become the company's official pen provider. Fisher Space Pen will be the only brand ballpoint pen used on all of Blue Origin's upcoming crewed launches.
"We can see the future, and Blue Origin is helping fly us there," Matt Fisher, vice president of Fisher Pen Company, said in a statement. "My grandfather helped build this company with an innovative product that yesterday's space pioneers needed, with a pen that has stood the test of time. This partnership now has all of us anticipating the possibilities that lie ahead, and we couldn't be more excited to help further our involvement in upcoming space endeavors Blue Origin will lead."
Founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos with the goal of "building a road to space for the benefit of Earth," Blue Origin is developing and building reusable rocket engines, launch vehicles, in-space systems and lunar landers. The company has used its New Shepard launch vehicle to fly 31 people to date on suborbital spaceflights and has a contract with NASA to provide a human landing system for sustained access to the surface of the moon.
Blue Origin is also working with Sierra Space on Orbital Reef, a commercial space station to be deployed in low Earth orbit.
Related: Blue Origin shows off moon lander prototype for NASA's Artemis program
To commemorate this new partnership, Fisher is releasing three custom-designed space pens featuring Blue Origin's feather logo representing the perfection of flight hardware design — an ideal balance of strength and lightness.
Fisher's original astronaut space pen, the AG7 model that first lifted off to space on NASA's Apollo 7 mission in 1968, has been updated for this release with a black titanium nitride exterior that helps protect it from scratches and gives it a stealthy appearance. Blue Origin's feather and celestial icons are laser engraved around the pen.
The Blue Moon Bullet Space Pen features a blue translucent finish and a chrome feather symbol.
The third release is also a Bullet, but with a matte black finish and the Blue Origin feather emblazoned in gold wrapping around the pen.
The Blue Origin AG7 retails for $125, the Blue Moon Bullet is $45 and the matte black Bullet is $39. All three pens are available to order through the Fisher Space Pen website.
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As part of the agreement, Fisher is also joining forces with Blue Origin's nonprofit Club for the Future to help further engage students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.
"Our partnership with Fisher Space Pen will inspire future generations to reach for the stars, write their STEM goals and leave an indelible mark in the space industry for the benefit of Earth," said Michael Edmonds, president of Club for the Future.
Blue Origin is the latest company to continue Fisher Space Pen's legacy as the choice writing instrument for space-bound travelers. After being adopted by NASA at the start of the Apollo program and by the Soviet space program in 1969, Fisher space pens went on to be used on every crewed mission for the past five decades. Today, the company also has agreements with Virgin Galactic to fly on SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicles and Axiom Space to launch on private SpaceX Dragon missions.
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