Marker used on Apollo 11 sells for $857,600

A simple Duro marker, used by Buzz Aldrin during the Apollo 11 mission, sold for $857,600 at a Sotheby's auction. The marker was sold with the circuit breaker switch it was used to reset on the lunar module.

The pen that saved the mission was not the famous NASA Space Pen

The marker that Aldrin used was not the iconic NASA Space Pen, but a more modest Duro model. The actual Space Pen was developed by Paul Fisher, who funded its creation without any financial support from NASA.

NASA’s early use of pencils and the dangers they posed

Before the Space Pen, both American and Soviet astronauts used pencils. However, pencils posed serious risks in space due to broken lead fragments and the flammability of the wood, especially after the Apollo 1 fire in 1967.

Paul Fisher’s self-funded invention of the Space Pen

Paul Fisher, founder of the Fisher Pen Company, developed the Space Pen using his own funds, approximately one million dollars. NASA tested and adopted the pen in 1967, purchasing about 400 units for a few dollars each.

Soviet Union also adopted the Space Pen

The Soviet Union ordered 100 Space Pens in 1969, also benefiting from a 40 percent discount. This decision was pragmatic rather than ideological, as both sides used Fisher’s pens for their space programs.

The Duro marker’s role in Apollo 11 and its auction

During the Apollo 11 mission, Buzz Aldrin used the Duro marker to reset a circuit breaker, a task the Space Pen was not used for. The marker, sold with the switch it was used on, fetched $857,600 at auction, exceeding initial estimates.

The myth of the Space Pen’s significance

The history of writing in space reveals a mix of practical solutions and misconceptions. The Space Pen, while impressive, was not as central to the space missions as popularly believed, and the marker used by Aldrin highlights the role of simple tools in critical moments.