STS-51F, launched 5:00:00pm ET on July 29, 1985, was the 19th flight of the Space Shuttle and the 8th for the orbiter, Challenger. The mission also marked the second flight of Spacelab, a reusable laboratory mounted inside the payload bay. A major objective of the mission was to verify the performance of the Spacelab systems with the orbiter as well as to measure the environment created by the vehicle in space.

In addition to Spacelab, the Shuttle also carried several secondary payloads including the Carbonated Beverage Dispenser Evaluation (CBDE). CBDE was designed to evaluate packaging and dispensing techniques for space flight consumption of carbonated beverages. The experiment included specially-designed soda "cans," produced by both Pepsi and Coca-Cola. Unfortunately, the crew classified the experiment as a failure, due to the zero-g environment and the lack of refrigeration ~~ but, on the lighter-side, floating "Pepsi balls" did provide a source of entertainment.

Several non-flown prototypes of the Coca-Cola dispenser were presented by the soft drink manufacturer to space centers and museums. The fully-functional cans were provided with a custom lucite base, including a screened photo of the Shuttle Challenger launching and the words, "Coca-Cola First Taste In Space - July 31, 1985, Shuttle Challenger - July 29 - August 6, 1985."

This prototype was on display at the Johnson Space Center until the lucite base broke.

Both Pepsi and Coca-Cola were proud of their maiden spaceflight, and shared their excitement with the public through several consumer products:

Coca-Cola Space Can Replica	"Coke In Space, July 1985" XL T-Shirt
Limited Edition Pepsi Space Can Replica	Commemorative Pepsi 12oz Can