When the U.S was in the middle of the space race, the challenge arose to find a writing implement that could function in zero gravity. Normal pens rely on gravity as the ink flows down and connects with the paper below. If you have ever tried to write upside down with an ordinary ball-point pen, you probably have experienced the frustration of having the flow of ink stop. After spending two years and a million dollars, NASA reportedly developed a pen that could work in zero gravity and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 degrees Celsius. Russian engineers, when faced with the same problem, decided to use a…