@S1-A.ARPA:host.MIT-MC.ARPA (05/09/85)
From: Ron Goldman <ARG@SU-AI.ARPA>
a281 2046 07 May 85
AM-Space Coke,0303
Carbonated Drink May Make Debut On July Space Shuttle Mission
Laserphoto HT2
By PAUL RECER
AP Aerospace Writer
SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) - Coca-Cola, which is available virtually
around the world, may be carried into orbit aboard the space shuttle
in July in a special container developed at a cost of more than
$250,000.
The Coca-Cola Co. announced Tuesday that the special steel can has
solved the problem of keeping carbonated drinks from inadvertently
escaping their containers in the weightlessness and low pressure
inside spacecraft.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration confirmed that
discussions with Coca-Cola have been underway and that a test flight
is under study, but Johnson Space Center spokesman Jack Riley said no
agreement has been reached.
A statement from NASA said the earliest flight under consideration
for the soft drink is the Spacelab 2 mission on space shuttle
Challenger, scheduled for launch on July 15. The mission is a
seven-day flight with a crew of seven.
A news release by the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. says the company
has spent more than $250,000 to develop the ''Coke Space Can.''
Conventional drink containers do not work in space, because there is
no gravity to pull the fluid out, so astronauts sip fluids from
straws placed into plastic containers that collapse as they are
emptied.
Carbonated drinks have the additional problem of spewing under the
force of expanding gas when introduced into reduced pressure. The
space shuttle cabin pressure is reduced to 10.2 pounds per square
inch, compared with a normal sea level pressure of 14, during
preparation for spacewalks.
According to Coca-Cola, the new ''Space Can'' has an internal
dispensing mechanism that compensates for the absence of gravity. The
package has a drinking spout activated by a lever valve. The can
includes a screw-on safety cap and a safety valve lock.
AP-NY-05-07-85 2344EDT
***************