The Space Billboard That Almost Launched: How a 1993 Plan Nearly Turned the Night Sky Into Ad Space

In 1993 aerospace entrepreneur Mike Lawson proposed a startling idea: a mile-long mylar billboard in low Earth orbit that would reflect sunlight to create a moon-sized advertisement visible around the globe. The plan captured headlines, provoked scientists and activists, and ultimately collapsed amid technical limits, public outrage, and the loss of advertiser support — but the debate it started continues today.

Lawson's Proposal

Lawson's company, Space Marketing Inc. (SMI), outlined a 1996 launch to place a tightly wound mylar package roughly 180 miles above Earth. Once deployed, the mylar would unfurl into a sheet up to a mile long and a quarter-mile tall, held taut by inflatable mylar tubes. Small mirrors attached to the rig would concentrate sunlight onto the sheet, producing a bright, moon-sized image in the sky. Lawson acknowledged the display would be low resolution — best suited to a single large logo — and said it would be visible for about 10 minutes per day over any given location.

Reaction From Scientists, Activists, And The Public

The Associated Press reported the proposal and said NASA found no obvious technical objection at the time. Lawson told a San Francisco Examiner reporter that 'it’s very feasible.' Still, the idea generated intense backlash. Astronomers such as Carl Sagan called the billboard 'an abomination,' warning it would add severe light pollution and could prevent ground-based optical astronomy in affected areas. Environmentalists and many members of the public objected to the commercialization of the night sky and the loss of shared cultural and natural heritage.

'A lot of people want to look at the night sky and not see an ad for soda,' said space-law scholar Joanne Irene Gabrynowicz.

SMI’s Defense And The Project’s Demise

SMI framed the project as primarily an environmental monitoring mission: the inflatable platform would carry instruments to track atmospheric ozone, they said, while advertising revenue would offset costs. The company estimated platform costs at $15–$30 million and reportedly proposed charging roughly $1 million per day for ad space. They also promised the banner would remain in orbit only about 30 days before burning up on reentry, while the science module would continue operating for months.

Despite these assurances, SMI faced technical and financial hurdles. Low-cost launch options were far less accessible in 1993 than today, and critics warned that existing orbital debris could quickly damage or destroy a thin reflective sheet. Public outrage and organized protests frightened off potential advertisers, and without funding the project could not proceed. Within a year the plan had collapsed.

The Conestoga, shown here in a photo taken in Matagorda Island in Texas, was the first-ever privately-funded launch rocket model.Image:Eric Grabow – Space Vector Corporation/ CC BY-SA 3.0

Policy Response And Legal Limits

The controversy spurred lawmakers to act. During 1993 hearings Representative Susan Molinari quipped about the absurdity of ads beside the moon or sun and argued for restrictions. U.S. regulators adopted policies that effectively deny launch licenses for 'obtrusive' space advertising; President Bill Clinton signed a related law in 2000. A United Nations resolution expressing similar concerns followed in 2001, though international measures had less enforcement power. Legal experts note the term 'obtrusive' was never precisely defined, leaving some regulatory gaps.

Aftermath And Later Attempts

Lawson did not leave space promotion entirely. He later partnered on stunts and commercial efforts with Russian missions — most famously helping Pizza Hut deliver a six-inch pizza to the International Space Station in 2001 — and eventually moved into other ventures such as blimp technology.

The idea resurfaced in 2019 when Russian startup StartRocket proposed a modern approach using a constellation of CubeSats, each acting as a reflective 'pixel' to form simple images at dawn and dusk. StartRocket claimed it could offer orbital ad space at prices below a Super Bowl spot, and by 2022 published a feasibility study. Pepsi denied any planned campaign; geopolitical disruption slowed StartRocket’s timeline, but the company later said it was assembling satellites and seeking investors as of 2025.

Ongoing Debate

Lower launch costs and more commercial capital make billboard-like projects more technically and financially plausible today than in 1993. Critics — led by astronomers and environmental advocates — warn that increasing space traffic raises debris risks and that bright orbital displays would interfere with scientific observations and degrade the night sky for everyone. Proponents point to potential revenue and technical creativity, but many experts argue that space should be reserved for activities that uniquely benefit humanity.

Conclusion: The 1993 space-billboard episode remains a case study in how technology, law, public values, and commercial incentives collide. Although Lawson's mylar banner never launched, the ethical and regulatory questions it raised are increasingly urgent as private companies expand activities in low Earth orbit.