A Russian Startup Wants to Project Giant Billboards in Space

Popular Mechanics ^ | January 18, 2019 | Avery Thompson

[C19fan]

One Russian company has announced a plan to build gigantic billboards in space, lighting up the night sky with advertisements for companies like Coke, McDonald’s, and KFC. If they’re successful, we could start seeing advertisements floating in the sky as soon as 2021.

On the one hand, this is a pretty incredible technological marvel. The company, StartRocket, plans to launch dozens of tiny CubeSats into orbit roughly 280 miles above the ground in a single rocket. Those CubeSats would then fly in formation and deploy giant reflective sails to send the Sun’s light to the Earth. Each one of these sails can be controlled independently, so the CubeSats act like programmable pixels. The billboards would only display advertisements for a year, according to report from Astronomy.

[C19fan]

Is this legal under international law? The last thing we need to even more light pollution.

[DannyTN]

Or space polution.

Class action lawsuit for blocking the view?

[Jamestown1630]

What an ugly idea.

[BenLurkin]

Ditto

[NCDragon]

“...fly in formation and deploy giant reflective sails to send the Sun’s light to the Earth.”

At what level of intensity? Can the beam be narrowed? Can this be weaponized?

Those are the kinds of questions I have reading this. Could be too, I’ve read too many Sci-Fi short stories from the 50s to the 70s. :)

[chaosagent]

6+

[chief lee runamok]

Anonymous sources report President Trump is partnering with the russian enterprise for free 2020 campaign advertisements.

[Jamestown1630]

The sky is still a place we can look to and find or feed wonder, contemplation, inspiration, removed from the ugliness here. It’s bad enough that we in cities and suburbs can see so little of it these days.

[rktman]

“View shed”

[Mears]

This is slightly off-topic but I found this a fascinating use of a mirror.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170314-the-town-that-built-a-mirror-to-catch-the-sun

.

[BBQToadRibs]

My first thought is some teen hacker taking over a board and posting porn. You know it’ll happen.

[The Unknown Republican]

Wasn’t this the plot to Die Another Day?

[CopperTop]

Bladerunner, anyone? d;^)

[CrazyIvan]

Messages up
In the stars,
That we used to
See from cars.

Burma Shave.

[bwest]

Isaac Asimov had a similar idea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Jupiter

[ConservaTeen]

Last gas for 24 light years...😀

[Fiddlstix]

Graphic Made by FReeper: Nick Danger

Click the Graphic

[jmcenanly]

I remember a short story by Arthur C.Clarke called "Watch This Space", which featured a scientific experiment involving a Sodium cloud dispersed from the Moon becoming an advertising sign. Someone in the Russian space program may have read the story which is part of Clarke's Venture to the Moon series from 1956.

[Steely Tom]

6+

The Man Who Sold The Moon!

[Conan the Librarian]

A GREAT short story there.