Advertising from Space: A Real Danger ? (La Serena, 6 March 2002) André HECK Strasbourg...

Advertising from Space:

A Real Danger ?

(La Serena, 6 March 2002)

André HECKStrasbourg Astronomical Observatory

6 March 2002 (A. Heck - La Serena) 2

Bottom line:

• Keep an eye on what is going on around the Earth

Otherwise:• All the improvements on ground

could be quickly ruined by something up there

Best policy against such a situation:• Beyond education and information,

secure public support

We need a “cosmic Cousteau”!

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Frightening approach:• In a global-market context,• If a company (“Poka-Mola”) realizes

that

-- the technology is at hand,

-- RoI/advertising from space is ok,We have advertising from space in a

couple of years

But (“optimistic” view):• Things are perhaps not as simple as

that

So what should/could be expected?

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Tackling this as …

• astronomer (threat)

• advertiser (impact)

• writer (fiction)

• what is it coming to in real life?

• what could be expected in today’s context?

schematic synthesis (but nuances!)

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Talk not concerned with…

• advertising in S/C - displays - astronaut suits - etc.• space debris• non-optical astronomy (although could be extrapolated)

but concerned with on-purpose large-size S/C intended to:

symbolize (memorials, art, …) carry messages (all kinds) interfere with natural sky patterns increase natural nightly sky B/G illuminate ground etc.

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The context

• All-powerful RoI (Return on Investment) (cost compare to efficiency)

• Globalised market and messages (WTO) (an advertiser’s summer night dream)

• Fragility of agreements and treaties (the pancake “flip-over effect” or politics

vrs economy)

• Some space agencies in dramatic need of money

(D. Tito/M. Suttleworh 20M USD)

So far, only battles have been won, not the war …

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The context (b)

What is the weight of astronomy?

• If we (astronomers) are convinced of our good right, other will consider us as very small players (in number of people, economically speaking, etc.)

• After the end of the Cold War and long after the landing of Man on the Moon. society at large now has other priorities (such as health, environment, security, unemployment) than space investigations or cosmological understanding.

• Alliances with other disciplines would be very welcome, incl. with advertisers.

• A new “Cousteau for astronomy” ?

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Planet `Astronomy’

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Planet `Observational Astronomy’

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`Observational’ Astronomy-Related Institutions

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References for the maps:

“Characteristics of Astronomy-Related Organizations”

(Astrophys. Sp. Sc. 274, 2000, 733-783)

http://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/~heck/org.htm

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“Space threats” for g/b observing

Identified to undesired luminous orbiting “things”

Should we neglect advertising from space?

Not quite a fiction

Even closer than we might think

“Precedents” or “preliminaries”

Which kind of advertising exactly?

Are we powerless? [strategies]

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“Precedents” or “preliminaries”

• Burial sites (Celestis, …)• Anniversaries - Statue of Liberty (1986) - Eiffel Tower (1989) - French Revolution (1989) - Unesco (1995) - …• “Space art”• Luminaries for emergency situations• … open the door lay grounds show technology available

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Celestis

• Cremated remains into space

• Several successful flights!

• Juicy market!!

• Not always visible from Earth

• Impact on Moon

• …

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Celestis (b)

• Several types of services

- Earthview (Earth orbit/USD 5300)

- Lunar (Moon/USD 12500)

-Voyager (deep space/USD 12500)

- Ad Astra (star naming, etc./USD 299)

• Next flight: Sept 2002 (Earthview)

(just as a reminder:

Denis Tito paid USD 20 000 000,

as well as Mark Suttleworth )

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Celestis (c)

• Celestis 01 (Founders Flight)

21 Apr 1997 (24)

• Celestis 02 (Ad Astra Flight)

10 Feb 1998 (30)

• Celestis 03 (Millennium Flight)

20 Dec 1999 (36)

• Shoemaker Memorial on Moon (impact in permanently shadowed crater

near South Pole)

31 Jul 1999

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The Eiffel Tower anniversary

• L’Anneau de Lumière/Light Ring - 800 km altitude - 90 min orbit - 3 y duration - 24 km diameter

• Arsat - curved reflecting sail - 11 h orbit - covering 3000 x 5000 km2 - brighter than full Moon - budget: USD 1-10 Millions

• Both projects turned down, but Arsat project still alive …

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The Unesco anniversary

• Star of Tolerance born in 1992

• Pair of balloons or reflecting sail

• Brightness of Sirius

• Turned down as such but

Star of Tolerance project still alive (HPS consortium, UN backing sought, etc.)

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Space Art (long list of projects)• Pierre Comte - ARSAT • Pierre Comte - Signature Terre • Jean-Marc Phillipe – Messages• The Eiffel Tower - Circle of Light • Lowery Burgess - Quiet Axis • Ezra Orion - Cosmic Cathedral • Richard Clar - Space Flight Dolphin • Richard Clar - Collision Rprt Coming Soon • Arthur Woods - Cosmic Dancer Sculpture • Arthur Woods - SEEDS • OURS Fdtn - Space Peace Sculptures • OURS Fdtn - Ars Ad Astra • OURS Fdtn - Art to the Stars Exhibition • UNESCO -Star of Tolerance • Planetary Society - Visions of Mars • Ken Fair – MarsWest• …

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Luminaries for emergencies

• “Znamya”-type projects• Reflecting sunlight down onto

selected places• 25 m model: - footprint 7-7 km - 5-10 x full Moon• 200 m model: - footprint 15-45 km - 10-100 x full Moon• First attempt (4 Feb 99) failed• Difficult to counter (humanitarian)• Next attempt on ISS (?)• Open door …

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Which shape could advertising take?

• Classical visual medias?

- banners?

- billboards??

- vast orbiting displays???• Multiple orbiting logos

- start and end of nights

- low on horizons densely pop. areas

- bright moving stars => Moons

- flashing/rotating• Symmetric/isotropic structures

(easily identifiable with product from all positions on Earth)

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But …

Not visible from everywhere

Limited in time (nights)

Inefficient when cloudy skies

Variety?

Rudimentary messages

Lassitude/weariness?

Heads up

Cf distribution of g/b obs. facilities

…

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Possible strategies

• International treaties and agreements (necessary but experience shows they can be overturned/denounced easily + absence of sanctions)

fragile

• Cost of ground-based observing facilities ( space?) – two-sided!

• Environmental impact (dark sky = natural resource) (space = The Last Frontier) • Physiological effects on human

beings (circadian cycles, …) with consequences on productivity, social unrest, …

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• Informing

• Educating

• Advertising

• Secure public support

Create it

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