Space Pen

NASA spent millions of dollars to develop a pen that could write in space.  The clever Russians equpped their cosmonauts with pencils.  Foolish government 'crats in action.  Clever Russians.  Proves a point about how inept the space agency is or something like that.

Except it did not happen that way.

The Fischer Pen Company invested $1 million of their own money to create the space pen.  They sold 400 of them to NASA for Apollo.  The Soviets ordered 100 the next year.

They paid $2.39 each.

Not as exciting as 'crats wasting our money but somehow a more satisfying tale.