Advertisements from outer space could take over the night sky sooner than you think. A new study by Russian scientists says these extra-planetary billboards are more than possible. And according to TechCrunch, it could be more lucrative than a Superbowl ad. The billboard would consist of a collection of 50 satellites, beaming advertisements at us mere earthlings from orbit. Here’s everything you need to know about space billboards.
Space Billboards, the final advertising frontier
Researchers say the project would cost about $65 million but could be highly lucrative considering the audience it could reach. The satellites would orbit the earth in a predetermined path to remain in direct sunlight. These space billboards would move into different formations, projecting images onto the night sky. The researchers used the six Olympic rings and the Eiffel tower as examples, though an Amazon logo is more likely.
The space billboards would remain in orbit for three-month periods and could display 24 different images in that time. TechCrunch calculated that the project could generate as much as $111 million in net income during that time. Quick math determines that would pull in about $4.6 million per advertisement formation, far cheaper than some Superbowl advertisements. For comparison, Web3 startup Limit Break recently purchased a $6.5 million advertisement slot during the big game.
Where would the ads be visible?
The most lucrative area for the space billboards to target are warm-weather regions across southeast Asia during winter. Nights are longer during the winter months, and the temperate climate of tropical regions means more people are outside. Additionally, those regions contain some of the most densely populated cities in the world.
The backlash to advertising in space
According to Insider, the project has its fair share of detractors, especially astronomers. The light pollution from space billboards would make it challenging to observe celestial bodies. Although, the study proposes limiting the time the satellites could display advertisements to sunrise and sunset. In 2021, reports surfaced that Elon Musk’s Space X was developing a similar project to beam advertisements from outer space.
