As the world celebrates the triumphant return of Artemis II, I find myself reflecting on a special encounter I had this past summer here in Alaska with Dr. Loren Acton and his wife, Evelyn.
Dr. Acton’s own journey into the stars took place in the summer of 1985, when he launched aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger for an eight-day mission. While his work was scientific, he and NASA found themselves swept up in a different kind of conflict: the infamous 'Cola Wars.' At the time, Coca-Cola and Pepsi were locked in a fierce battle for global market dominance—a rivalry that eventually reached all the way into orbit.
It is an intriguing, humorous chapter of American history where the only 'casualties' were carbonated. You can read the full story of how nobody got hurt in the space-age Cola War below.
- GB Jones (April 13, 2026)
