Problem solving story: Sometimes you already have the solution

During the early days of the Space Race, the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a fierce competition. Both nations wanted to prove their superiority in science, technology, and exploration. Landing on the moon wasn’t just about discovery it was about national pride, honor, and proving which country had the best minds and the most advanced technology. Billions of dollars were spent developing rockets, space suits, and spacecraft. Every detail had to be perfect because even the smallest mistake in space could mean disaster. But as scientists and engineers worked to solve major challenges like propulsion and oxygen supply, they faced an unexpected problem, how would astronauts write in space? On Earth, writing is something people rarely think about. When you pick up a pen and press it to paper, the ink flows effortlessly. But in space, there is no gravity to pull the ink downward. The moment an astronaut tried to write with an ordinary pen, nothing happened. The ink just sat there, refusing to move. This was a serious issue. Astronauts needed to take notes, document experiments, and write down important information. Mission control on Earth depended on their records to improve future space missions. Without a way to write, they couldn’t properly communicate their findings. The United States government saw this as a critical problem. If their astronauts couldn’t write in space, they might fall behind in the race to the moon. So, they did what they had always done when faced with a challenge they turned to technology.

A well-known American pen company was given millions of dollars in funding to develop a space pen that could work in zero gravity. Scientists and engineers spent years researching, testing, and refining a design. Eventually, they developed a highly advanced pen with a tiny pump inside. This “space pen” used pressurized ink cartridges, which forced the ink to flow no matter what direction the pen was held in even upside down or in zero gravity. The pen was also built to withstand extreme temperatures, from freezing cold to intense heat. The result was an engineering marvel. It worked perfectly in space, and later, schoolchildren on Earth discovered that it could even be used to write on walls and ceilings. The United States had done it! They had solved the problem using advanced science and technology. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union had the same challenge. Their astronauts also needed to write in space. But instead of investing millions of dollars in research and developing complex technology, the Soviets approached the problem differently. Rather than reinventing the pen, they asked a simple question: “Is there already something that works without gravity?” The answer was obvious. Pencils. Pencils don’t rely on ink. They use graphite, which leaves marks on paper no matter what direction you hold it in. There was no need for expensive technology, no research, and no complicated engineering. So, the Soviets handed their cosmonauts regular pencils. Problem solved.