In any competition, the firsts are always remembered, rather than the runners-up. In space travel too, we remember the first man to land on the moon, the woman to go into space or the first animal to travel to space. Pepsi and Coca Cola, the two American fizzy drink companies, in the 1980s, were in race to serve the first carbonated drink in space.
The days marked the transition of NASA from the prestigious Apollo years to the modern days of commercial space flight. Corporates were vying with each other, e.g. the first cell communication system on the moon by 4G/LTE Nokia or driving a Tesla Roadster into space by a mannequin.
To both the cola companies, these days offered a perfect marketing opportunity. NASA was working with private companies to launch their satellites and conduct research using space shuttles. The feed of the astronauts was one such area. The feed progressed from the cubes and tubes earlier to freeze-dried and thermo-stabilized foods. Coca Cola was given specifications for the container the test needed to fly on the shuttle.
There are technical challenges while consuming soda in space. Water taken by astronauts is sipped from plastic pouches or they take rehydrated powdered drinks. These pouches are not suitable for carbonated drinks. Sodas must be served in rigid containers with a dispensing value. Astronauts drink from this container without releasing a sticky spray that can be dangerous inside the delicate spacecraft.
Since then, NASA reversed the policy. Coca Cola blamed the rival Pepsi’s protest for this. The company kept working behind the scenes to book its container in 1985 space flight and excluded Pepsi from the same flight. It made a PR blunder by announcing its presence on the flight even before NASA agreed. There were murmurs that NASA’s name should not be used to endorse these drinks.
NASA’s stand was that they can fly with us in space by paying their way, but no publicity in space. Their brand names would not be put on the side of the shuttle. Pepsi signed an identical deal with NASA, the shuttles of both the companies would be accommodated on the same shuttle.
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