SkyRocket's latest technology allows onlookers to see their logos with ease. (Video Credit: SkyRocket)
We've all seen it. Those pesky advertisements from TV, radio, billboards, newspapers, magazines. smartphones and even in movie theaters - all of which are designed to influence purchase choices through the use of hidden messages. Well, now advertising is going orbital! A Russian start-up company has made it a priority to launch tiny satellites into the night sky with illuminating advertisements we've all come to know and love. They will have the potential to reach 7 billion people worldwide. At least 3-4 messages per day can be broadcast in a viewable area of 50km that uses the sun as its source of light. Skyrocket believes it will have everything up and running by 2020 with their contracts offered to corporate customers shortly after.
Honestly, I really hope this is a joke. I can’t even imagine non-stop ads in the sky. It’s like some sort of dystopian future scenario.
The idea is to use the satellites to light up different messages for up to six minutes per advertisement. The cubic satellite formation would be located approximately 250 - 310 miles above the earth. It's getting easier these days to launch mini CubeSat satellites thanks in large part to the technology supporting it becomes cheaper and more advanced. Private space companies may be interested in entering the market with this product. That may be a cause for concern later on because of the impact of crowding in low-space orbit potentially causing collisions with space debris.
Messages being used in orbit with this technology can be convenient for bringing information to the public. This would be very useful on an emergency basis when phones don't work, during power-cuts and during catastrophic emergencies. This is where the government can come into play - by using the display as a means of urgent notifications for the public.
This isn't the first time the idea of advertisements being displayed outside our planet has come up. A Japanese start-up company received millions of dollars in funds to put a billboard on the moon. Later this year and in 2020 they plan on launching their spacecraft on the moon where companies can rent the billboards who want to their logo to be seen by the earth.
This is not the future we were promised!
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