Will Advertisements Dominate the Night Sky?

[Phobos]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/03/11/russia.space.ap/index.html

... patented a device for putting advertising into space that would be seen from Earth... satellites would be visible in the night sky by employing sunlight reflectors, with multiple satellites linked together to create a message large enough to be seen.

 

[Lord Flasheart]

Now that's just too damn impractical. It ruins the night sky, it'll be hard to maintain. (unless it the metal reflectors are multi-purposed)

However, this is good news! Bad nox-environments for astronomers will push for the expansion of space. Perhaps this push'll help telescope-eers for the establishment of a lunar farside base? We're running out of space, anyway. We might as well get a move on.

 

[billy_boy_999]

it won't happen...this is one of those AP stories they type up when they haven't met their science quotas, advertising in space would be far too unpopular to make sense for advertisers...

 

[selfAdjoint]

Say, did anyone ever read Heinlein's old story "The Man who Sold the Moon"? In that his capitalist space promoter, D.D. Harriman, got Coca Cola and 7-Up into a bidding war over the rights to spread their logo over the face of the moon. See the technology for space travel existed, but nobody wanted to lay out the bucks to go. Remind you of anything? So Harriman used his business smarts to "create a demand". It's a classic.

BTW if you are moved to read it, be sure to read "Requiem" afterward.

 

[check]

I think the day's comming when we look up at the night sky and see a giant Nike 'swoosh' on the moon.

 

[Adam]

If it happens, I will gladly support any "terrorist" groups dedicated to the destruction of such things.

 

[Phobos]

Originally posted by check
I think the day's comming when we look up at the night sky and see a giant Nike 'swoosh' on the moon.

Supposedly, Pizza Hut wanted to do this.
http://www.flatoday.com/space/explore/stories/1999b/093099f.htm