StartRocket is a Russian startup that is focused on displaying gigantic similar to billboard advertisements in the night sky by making use of cubesats. This vision of StartRocket has been shown in a conceptual video that shows the KFC and McDonald’s logos in the sky.
The project leader Vlad Sitnikov said this is the next logical step in the realm of advertising. He said, ‘We are ruled by brands and events. The Super Bowl, Coca Cola, Brexit, the Olympics, Mercedes, FIFA, Supreme, and the Mexican wall. The economy is the blood system of society. Entertainment and advertising are at its heart. We will live in space, and humankind will start delivering its culture to space. The more professional and experienced pioneers will make it better for everyone.’
According to StartRocket, the Orbital Display will be launched by 2020 and displaying of ads in the night sky will commence by 2021. The cubesats will be orbiting the Earth at an altitude between 400 and 500 kilometers. At any given time, they will only be visible from the surface for about six minutes.
The company has not provided any details about the cost of a space advertisement yet. However, according to our sources, the brands will be paying for the ads. Randy Segal, an attorney, specializing in space and satellite law at the firm Hogan Lovells, said that while the project might be feasible in terms of technology; StartRocket will be facing regulatory hurdles all over the world. Segal said, ‘Is it technologically possible? Yes! Is it something that regulators will permit? Questionable.’
A primary concern for StartRocket as per Segal is the question of aviation safety. The concept is not the first of its kind though; a Japanese startup is also working on launching a pair of microsatellites that will be able to shoot artificial shooting stars upon instruction.
According to Alexey Skorupsky, a member of the StartRocket, ‘If you ask about advertising and entertainment in general — haters gonna hate. We are developing a new medium. At the advent of television, no one loved ads at all.’
