NASA

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300?C.

The Russians used a pencil.

And when the first astronauts were on the moon, they broke the lever off of one of the switches that they needed to start the engines to get back to earth.

The solution.. Pull the switch out, take that same pen, and use it to make contact and start the engines..

If they had a pencil, they'd still be there.

Isn't irony ironic?

Sure is buddy