Advertising Matters

CubeSat to populate space with sponsored communications

The world is changing so fast that even the old proverbs that seemed to carry universal wisdom and value are losing their grip on the realities they took insight from. Necessity is not the ‘key’ word anymore. Opportunity is now the mother of invention. The mind of our civilization is not driven by need, its imagination is fired by opportunity and potential. Do you think putting up a billboard in space fulfills any human need? Well, it certainly does seize the opportunity of doing business in space. CubeSat is going to be the first satellite ever to display ads in space.

Don’t take your expectations too high. This is just the beginning. Displaying sponsored content in lower earth orbit does not mean that we will see it from the earth. Maybe it will take a few more years to get there. But for now, CubeSat will receive the content from the earth through a stream. The content beamed to the CubeSat-projected screen will be streamed back to the earth through the satellite’s selfie camera. The stream could be shared on several social and digital platforms.

You cannot keep Elon Musk out of anything related to space. SpaceX will be launching the satellite into space but Elon Musk is not the one who came up with the idea. A Canadian startup first came up with the idea but could not garner much support for the initiative. Geometric Energy Crop (GEC) has finally moved the tech giant to invest its technology and resources in the project. CubeSat will be carried to space by SpaceX Falcon 9.

CubeSat to display ads in space.

Though the project is a joint venture between SpaceX and GEC, yet it’s Elon Musk and his company that’s getting all the media attention. It is interesting to note that Samuel Reid CEO of GEC has not yet come face to face with Musk. The Tesla owner is too busy to meet the CEO his company has agreed to work with. His busy schedule is justified. He is one of those few persons on the planet who gained fame and fortune in a matter of a few years. From a manufacturer of electric cars, he is now one of the biggest tech giants in the world.

Billboards in Space is an innovative marketing idea that is also romantic. According to Samuel Reid, people could display any content they wish to be in space. It will allow a lot of commercial and private communications to appear at the cosmic stage. After the execution of the initial idea, another door of limitless opportunities will open. After a few decades or maybe less space will be buzzing with activity. But history will remember CubeSat, the first advertising satellite in space.