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posted by martyb on Tuesday April 16 2019, @04:58AM   Printer-friendly
from the next-rest-stop-238,900-miles dept.

Take a cluster of cubesats, shoot them into orbit, outfit them with sunlight reflecting mylar sails, and spell out PEPSI.

Yes, they are working on it.

A Russian company called StartRocket says it’s going to launch a cluster of cubesats into space that will act as an “orbital billboard,” projecting enormous advertisements into the night sky like artificial constellations. And its first client, it says, will be PepsiCo — which will use the system to promote a “campaign against stereotypes and unjustified prejudices against gamers” on behalf of an energy drink called Adrenaline Rush.

Typical reactions toward the idea are as cool as interstellar space, for example when discussed on futurism's forums individuals opined

“This startup made an AI read every dystopian fiction novel and is turning its cursed ramblings into business plans,” wrote one. Another said that “shooting down those ads should be legal.”

StartRocket has now successfully tested the idea out by launching one of their reflectors from a helium balloon into space where it was visible from the ground.

StartRocket plans to launch the system into orbit in 2021. It’s currently raising funds, it says — and a $20,000 investment will buy eight hours of advertising in the night sky.

Hopefully we can use them to project the Milky Way so people can see the stars again.


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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by opinionated_science on Tuesday April 16 2019, @10:23AM

    by opinionated_science (4031) on Tuesday April 16 2019, @10:23AM (#830352)

    From the Red Dwarf novel "Infinity likes careful drivers" [spacearchaeology.org]

    For anyone living on Earth the result would be mindfizzlingly spectacular. One hundred and twenty-eight stars would appear to go supernova simultaneously, burning with such ferocity they would be visible even in daylight.

    And the hundred and twenty-eight supernovae would spell out a message.

    And this would be the message:

    ‘COKE ADDS LIFE!’

    .

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