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No Billboards in Space

Posted by Zonk on from the the-moon-sponsored-by-pepsi dept.

An anonymous reader writes "CNN is reporting that the Federal Aviation Administration proposed Thursday to amend its regulations to ensure that it can enforce a law that prohibits 'obtrusive' advertising in zero gravity." From the article: "For instance, outsized billboards deployed by a space company into low Earth orbit could appear as large as the moon and be seen without a telescope, the FAA said. Big and bright advertisements might hinder astronomers."

7 of 380 comments (clear)

  1. Huh? by caluml · · Score: 5, Interesting

    And sorry, who is enforcing this law? I wasn't aware that the US owned space.

    --
    Get your own free personal location tracker
    1. Re:Huh? by Spetiam · · Score: 5, Interesting

      "Big and bright advertisements might hinder astronomers."

      Not to mention the proliferation of space junk.

      I wasn't aware that the US owned space.

      Wow, even when we propose keeping space clean, you just can't pass up the chance to do a little US-bashing, can you?

    2. Re:Huh? by nickptar · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Historically nations have had "ownership" according to how far they can project force.
      Don't you mean 0wnership?

      On the subject of lighting - reflection from terrestrial light and fluorescent paint (which converts UV into visible light) wouldn't be enough. I suppose the back would be covered in solar cells, which would charge batteries when the sign was on the day-side, and the batteries would power lights on the night-side. (If that's not enough, power could *theoretically* bebeamed from Earth - hmm, maybe space ads are what will finally get power beaming going.)

    3. Re:Huh? by sconeu · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Heinlein thought of it first. In "The Man Who Sold the Moon", he got support by raising the spectre of the Commies putting a huge Hammer-and-Sickle on the moon. He also got funds from "Moka-cola" by suggesting that "6+" had offered him money to put a 6+ logo on the moon.

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    4. Re:Huh? by Lord+Kano · · Score: 3, Interesting

      What if someone placed an ad over the Atlantic Ocean in geo-synch orbit? International waters and all, but it would STILL be visable from most of the US and Western Europe.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    5. Re:Huh? by shadowbearer · · Score: 3, Interesting

      mercury and halogen streetlights (the blue/white ones) were a lot more harmful to astronomers than sodium ones were, last I checked. Sodium lights have a much lower and more narrow emission band.

      As to space ads... never underestimate the budget of an advertising department ;)

      SB

      --
      It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
  2. I'm still waiting... by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 3, Interesting

    for when they forbid obtrusive advertising in CYBERspace.