Space advertising

Space advertising is the practice of advertising in space. This is usually done with product placements during crewed space missions.

Space advertising falls into two categories: obtrusive and non-obtrusive.

Obtrusive space advertising is advertising in outer space that is visible to individuals on the Earth's surface without the aid of a telescope or other technological devices. Both international and national laws govern the practice of obtrusive space advertising due to concerns about space debris (objects in space that can cause harm) and the potential obstruction of astronomical views from the Earth's surface. Contemporary regulations and technological capabilities limit space advertising, yet it persists in popular culture in a variety of forms.

Non-obtrusive space advertising is the term for any other type of advertisement in space, such as logos on space suits, satellites, and rockets.

History

Since the Space Race and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, space-based advertising has been explored as a non-militarized use for space. Since then, several attempts at space advertising have occurred, such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX launch of a Tesla car into orbit.

One major advantage that space advertising has over other Earth-bound methods is the scale of its reach. Millions of people across multiple countries can be exposed to an advertisement orbiting Earth. However, relatively high start-up costs have prevented this from becoming a common mode of advertisement.

Attempts

In the past, attempts at orbital spaceflight have been discouraged due to the high cost (millions of USD per launch). Public space exploration authorities have also been reluctant to cater to advertisers. For example, NASA's restrictive policy on its employees' endorsing of products required astronauts to refer to M&M's as "candy-coated chocolates."