User:Sarah Katherine Barnes/sandbox

Instruments used to write in space have included conventional and mechanical pencils, grease pencils, felt-tip and ballpoint pens, Space Pens.^[1], knee pads.^[2] and laptop computers.^[3]. Limited options for writing utensils’ use in space are due to its conditions of zero gravity, extreme temperature exposure, vibration,^[4] radiation, and magnetic variation.^[5] As such, instruments used for typing in space, namely laptops, must be modified for safety; as of 2011, customized IBM ThinkPad A31 and ThinkPad 760XD computers accompanied crews in spaceflight.^[6]

Contents

• 1Mission requirements
  • 1.1Contamination control
  • 1.2Mission assurance and quality records
• 2Writing instruments
  • 2.1Conventional technologies' use in space
  • 2.2Writing technologies designed for space use
• 3References

Mission requirements[edit]

Space versus ground recordkeeping presents several serious issues:

Contamination control[edit]

Main article: Contamination control

See also: Apollo 1

Within the space capsule, any shedding including (but not limited to) wood, graphite, ink vapors and ink droplets pose a risk for combustion. In the case of a manned capsule, the much smaller recirculating volume combined with microgravity and an even greater difficulty of resupply make these requirements even more critical.

Release of wood shavings, graphite dust, broken graphite tips, and ink compounds are dangerous flight hazards. Lack of gravity causes objects to drift, so any [[Insulator_(electricity)|conductive]] material is a threat to electronics. Nonconductive particles can also hamper electromechanical switch contacts, such as normally-open and rotary mechanisms. Drifting particles threaten ocular impairment (and to a lesser extent, are inhalation hazardous), which may risk execution of a critical procedure. Personnel may don protective gear, but both ground and flight crews are less inhibited working "in shirtsleeves" (link). Prior to the Apollo 1 fire, the CM crew cabin was reviewed for hazardous materials including paper and low-temperature plastics such as [[velcro|Velcro]]

A directive was issued but poorly enforced. When combined with high oxygen content, the Apollo 1 cabin burned within seconds, killing all three crew members.

Cosmonaut, Anatoly Solovyev flew with Space Pens starting in the '80s and stated "pencil lead breaks...and is not good in space capsule; very dangerous to have metal lead particles in zero gravity."

Mission assurance and quality records[edit]

Main article: Mission assurance

See also: Life-critical system and System engineering

Laptop hardware is typically subjected to about nine months of examination and an additional six months of testing in simulated capsule conditions before it is approved for spaceflight. The requisites for approval include radiation-, vibration-, heat- and fire-resistance as well as resistance to changes in magnetic fields. The first laptops used in space were aboard the Endeavour on a repair mission ship sent to repair NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.^[7]

Strict documentation requirements accompany large-scale aerospace demonstrations, especially in cases of manned spaceflight. Quality assurance records document individual instances of procedural deviancy. When combined with the stringent weight drivers of orbital and deep-space flight, the quality-control demands are high. Change control records track the evolution of hardware and procedures from their ground testing, initial flights, through necessary corrections and midlife revision and upgrades, and on to retention of engineering knowledge for later programs, and any incident investigations.

When the flight has scientific or engineering science objectives, low-quality data may affect mission success directly.

Faced with these requirements, pencils or other non-permanent record keeping methods are unsatisfactory. The act of taking permanent, high-integrity documentation itself deters kludges, workarounds, and "go fever". The Apollo 1 investigation uncovered procedural and workmanship deficiencies in multiple areas, up to procedures on the pad.

Conventional writing technologies’ use in space [edit]

While graphite is an electrically conductive and combustible material, two factors mitigate the risks of graphite pencils’ use in space: the graphite in pencils is mixed with clay during fabrication to help hold its shape, and would only burn at greater than 1,000 °C (1,832 °F); 2) the quantity of graphite particles actually produced during occasional writing would be too small to constitute an electrical hazard.

Wooden pencils have been used by NASA and Soviet space programs from the start. It is simple with no moving parts, except for the sharpener. The mechanical pencil has been used by NASA starting in the 1960's Gemini program. It can be made to be as wide as the width of astronauts' gloves, yet maintain its light weight. There are no wooden components which might catch fire and create dust. However, the pencil lead still creates graphite dust that conducts electricity.

Grease pencils on plastic slates were used by the Soviet space program as an early substitute for wood pencils. It is simple with no moving parts. The paper shroud is peeled back when needed. The disadvantage is that the paper wrapper must be disposed of. Writing done with the grease pencil is also not as durable as ink on paper.

Ballpoint pens have been used by Soviet and then Russian space programs as a substitute for grease pencils as well as NASA and ESA. The pens are cheap and use paper (which is easily available), and writing done using pen is more permanent than that done with graphite pencils and grease pencils, which makes the ball point pen more suitable for log books and scientific note books. However, the ink is indelible, and depending on composition is subject to outgassing and temperature variations.

Felt-tip pens were used by NASA astronauts in the Apollo missions. However, wick-based instruments are designed around low viscosity, and thus operating temperature and pressure.

Manufactured by Overland Machined Products Inc., the knee note pad was a rudimentary written records instrument used by astronaut, John H. Glenn Jr. to log data on the Friendship 7 orbital space mission on February 20, 1962. The device, measured at around ten inches, functioned as a note pad featuring a flat aluminum surface to which a piece of paper was affixed by aluminum clasps. A nylon tether cord tied around the end of a pencil kept the pencil from floating away in zero gravity. The device also featured a knee strap attachment for ease of access in orbit. ^[8]

The Fisher Space Pen is a gas-charged ball point pen that is rugged and works in a wider variety of conditions, such as zero gravity, vacuum and extreme temperatures. Its thixotropic ink and vent-free cartridge release no significant vapor at common temperatures and low pressures. The ink is forced out by compressed nitrogen at a pressure of nearly 35 psi (240 kPa), and it functions at altitudes up to 12,500 feet (3800 m) and at temperatures from −30 to 250 °F (−35 to 120 °C). However, it is more expensive than alternative utensils. It has been used by both NASA and Soviet/Russian astronauts on Apollo, Shuttle, Mir, and ISS missions.

In-flight changes in air pressure influence capsule temperature. Early manned missions would typically operate at below standard pressure in order to decrease the stresses (and thus, mass) of their capsules. Some capsules operated without separate airlocks, exposing the cabin to hard vacuum. Low pressure would also exacerbate contamination issues, as substances acceptable at standard conditions may begin out-gassing at lower pressures or higher temperatures. While the Soyuz spacecraft had a 14.7 psi (101 kPa) design pressure, and could use its orbital module as an airlock, the orbital module would be deleted for planned lunar missions. In any case, a pen which was insensitive to pressure and temperature would eliminate the issue (including accidental depressurizations), provide a margin, and allow the ability to record during extravehicular activities.

References[edit]

1. ^ "Is it true that NASA spent thousands of dollars developing a space pen, whereas the Russians just took a pencil?". physics.org. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
2. ^ "The Fisher Space Pen". Steve Garber, NASA History Web Curator. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
3. ^ "Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov testing out his first Fisher Space Pen back in 1968". Retrieved October 4, 2013.
4. ^ What kind of laptops do ISS astronauts use? https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/1489/what-kind-of-laptops-do-iss-astronauts-use Accessed March 2019
5. ^ "Space Pen History". Retrieved October 4, 2013.
6. ^ "Just the FAQ Ma'am". Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
7. ^ What temperature is required to burn graphite? https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/44463/what-temperature-is-required-to-burn-graphite Accessed Mar 2019.
8. ^ "... And Today: MIR Cosmonauts Use Fisher Space Pens For Their Writing Needs". Archived from the original on 2007-11-18. Retrieved October 4, 2013.

• Curtin, Ciara (December 20, 2006). "Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would Write in Space, whereas the Soviet Cosmonauts Used a Pencil". Scientific American. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
• Duque, Pedro (October 23, 2003). "Diary from Space". ESA. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
• Jones, Eric M. (August 11, 2008). "Apollo 11 Image Library: Landing Site Maps/Images". Retrieved 2008-09-25.

Instruments used to write in space have included conventional and mechanical pencils, grease pencils, felt-tip and ballpoint pens, (cite?) Space Pens (link) (curtin), knee note pads (cite) and laptop computers. (siceloff) Limited options for writing utensils’ use in space are due to conditions of zero gravity, exposure to extreme temperature, vibration, (siceloff) radiation, and magnetic variation. (curtin) As such, instruments for typing in space, namely laptops, must be modified for safety; as of 2011, customized IBM ThinkPad A31 and ThinkPad 760XD computers accompanied crews in spaceflight. (siceloff)

Within the space capsule, any shedding, including wood, graphite, and ink vapors and droplets, pose risk for combustion. In the case of a manned capsule, the much smaller recirculating volume combined with microgravity and an even greater difficulty of resupply, make these requirements even more critical.

Computers (nongraphite)

Laptop hardware is typically subjected to about nine months of examination and an additional six months of testing in simulated capsule conditions before it is approved for spaceflight. The requisites for approval include radiation-, vibration-, heat- and fire-resistance as well as resistance to changes in magnetic fields (siceloff) The first laptops used in space were aboard the Endeavour (link) on a repair mission ship sent to repair NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

Bold text must be explained/defined. (requires research)

Underlined text should be linked. If an article on the subject does not exist, then one should be researched and composed.

Strikethrough text should be omitted.

Small writing are alternative words/phrasing that I think flows more nicely in the style of the paragraph or that I think is more appropriate for Wikipedia than the existing phrase

Tiny writing are my personal comments.

Release of wood shavings, graphite dust, broken graphite tips, and ink compounds are dangerous flight hazards. Lack of gravity causes objects to drift, even with air filtration. Any conductive ((Nonconductive/conductive -> redirects to nonconducting/conducting -> redirects to the Wikipedia article, "Insulator (electricity)" this can be linked easily.) material is a threat to electronics, including the electromechanical switches in use during early manned space programs. Nonconductive particles may also hamper switch contacts, such as normally-open and rotary mechanisms. Drifting particles are a threat to the eyes (and to a lesser extent an inhalation threat), which may risk execution of a critical procedure.Personnel may don protective gear, but both ground and flight crews are more comfortable and more productive "in shirtsleeves". _{((the editor of this article should not say "are". If the sentence is necessary, then it should instead say "said that they were" The article should not speak on the preferences of individuals because preferences are subject to change. Words that were said and can be cited are fine, but saying that someone feels a certain way is not acceptable.} Paul C. Fisher of Fisher Pen Company recounted that pencils were ((considered)) 'too dangerous to use in space'. _{** // "too dangerous"- why? If this has already been covered in an earlier part of the article, reference it. Based on this "recount" did Paul C. Fisher say this this was the reason he created the space pen? This statement should lead to a conclusion, in my opinion. ALSO- when/where was this quote said and where was it found? Not good to quote without a source.))**}

Prior to the Apollo 1 fire, the CM crew cabin was reviewed for hazardous materials such as paper and low-temperature plastics such as Velcro (link). A directive was issued but poorly enforced. When combined with high oxygen content, the Apollo 1 cabin burned within seconds, killing all three crew members. (cite)

Cosmonaut, Anatoly Solovyev flew with Space Pens starting in the '80s (period after 1980's. He stated that "pencil lead breaks...and is not good in space capsule; very dangerous to have metal lead particles in zero gravity". _{**((surely there is documentation of the first space flight in which he used a Space Pen. If this sentence were cited, the exact starting year would likely be easy to locate. Even if not, I think it is more suitable anyway for a Wikipedia article to use, "1980's" rather than "80's". If the way I edited the sentence beginning with "cosmonaut" is confusing, I can clarify: I think the sentence should read, "...flew with Space Pens starting in the 1980's. He stated that 'pencil lead breaks'...and is not good in [a] space capsule; [it is] very dangerous to have metal lead particles in zero gravity." Incoherent quotes should be normalized to fit correct grammar. Also -> punctuation is always written inside quotations. After "zero gravity," the period should exist within the quotations not outside of them))**}​

​

Strict documentation requirements accompany large-scale aerospace demonstrations, especially in cases of manned spaceflight. Quality assurance records document individual parts and instances of procedures for deviances ((not a word, use a synonym. Possibly, "deviancy")). Low production and flight rates generally result in high variance; most spacecraft designs (to say nothing of individual spacecraft) fly so infrequently that they are considered experimental aircraft. ((cite this!! I don't even understand what this means.)) When combined with the stringent weight drivers of orbital and deep-space flight, the quality-control demands are high. Change control records track the evolution of hardware and procedures from their ground testing, initial flights, through necessary corrections and midlife revision and upgrades, and on to retention of engineering knowledge for later programs, and any incident investigations.​

When the flight also has scientific or engineering science objectives, low-quality data may affect mission success directly.

Faced with these requirements, pencils or other non-permanent record keeping methods are unsatisfactory. The act of taking permanent, high-integrity documentation itself deters kludges, workarounds, and "go fever". The Apollo 1 investigation uncovered procedural and workmanship deficiencies in multiple areas, up to procedures on the pad.

This is a user sandbox of Sarah Katherine Barnes. You can use it for testing or practicing edits. This is not the sandbox where you should draft your assigned article for a dashboard.wikiedu.org course. To find the right sandbox for your assignment, visit your Dashboard course page and follow the Sandbox Draft link for your assigned article in the My Articles section. Get Help