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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Fourteen mile high billboard

On May 21st, a high altitude balloon platform was flown to the edge of space. This mission, named Away 26, was flown by JP Aerospace of Rancho Cordova, California. In addition to it's scientific and research duties, Away 26 served as a billboard at the edge of space. "Some companies like to advertise on race cars, I like to use the planet Earth". Says John Powell, President of JP Aerospace

More here at SpaceRef.com: www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=16996
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Do we really need this?

[Rocketman]

Well I can't think of anything other to say than "That's retarded".

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I heard on the radio yesterday that the FCC will prohibit any type of "space" advertising that can be seen from the ground. I couldn't find any thing on the net on this, but if it's true...good.

Someone is also tinkering with the idea of lighting up clouds with logos.

Yuk!...

[Maddad]

I can just imaging trying to get a good view of the moons of Jupiter and seeing a billboard for McDonalds obscure the viewing.

[stargazer]

I heard this was a dead issue. They decisded it wasnt worth it as to many of us complained about it.It would run the beautiful night sky so they as far as I heard turned it down.


B

[Rocketman]

lololololol @ Maddad

[starbux]

maddad said:

I can just imaging trying to get a good view of the moons of Jupiter and seeing a billboard for McDonalds obscure the viewing.

Buy Jupiter!

[John Powell]

Hey guys relax!

The billboard was only four inches tall. The proceeds were used to pay for a reseach mission that carrried 202 student experiments. I know there are some very silly ideas out there to create banners that fill the sky, but this isn't one of them.

If race cars and beer companies raise funds with ads on their vehicles why can't we also do it for science and exploration?

Let me know what you think, up or down.

JP

John Powell
President
JP Aerospace, America's OTHER Space Program
www.jpaerospace.com

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Hey John,

What a great surprise and pleasure it is to see you here at the Chicago Astronomer. How did you stumble upon us?

A little four inch ad plaque is certainly no cause for alarm, but it also sends ideas to the ignorant you will advertise on long trailing streaming banners miles long, or inflate a giant balloon or even use lasers to display logos. That is what is not acceptable.

Advertising on race cars is cool, but it's a active choice to view the car event or not. Small ads like yours is cool too, as long as it does not force upon people the ad as seen from the ground. Billboards are a visible pollution forced upon the environment and people that I could do without.

Private funds for exploration is always a good idea, and at only 4" in your case... acceptable.

Thanks for your post...

[Maddad]

John
Well, that explains why they abandoned the project. Hard to see a 4" McDonald's logo from 240 miles down.

[John Powell]

Our biggest vehicle is about the size of a 747. Nobody seems to complain about the "United Airline' logo on the side of a 747. At 100,000 feet you can't even see my vehicle.

Like most sponsor promotion the image is viewed via video and cameras. I tell you, a four inch high logo filmed from 24 inches away is much easer to do then a 24 mile logo 10 miles away. The pics look better too. I won't worry too much about the guys trying to do the billboard that can block the sun thing. All of those project without exception are SERIOUSLY engineering lacking. The media likes to pick them up because they rile folks up and congress hollers about it because they don't know any better.

Another topic, we had a great daytime photo of Venus a couple of years ago from 100,000 feet. We got it by pure luck. Amateur telescope at 100,000 feet anyone?

John

www.jpaerospace.com

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

The Venus imaging from 100,000 ft. sounds intriguing.

How was this accomplished? Hell, sometimes it's hard enough to manually track a fast moving object in my scope, let alone from a moving platform.

Thanks for shedding practical light on the ad story, and we can better understand the facts.

[Rocketman]

Now this is killer!



I've seldom ever persuaded anyone, but you know what I think would be cool? Add on-board video, and share it on the net. Now that would rock!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Lol...quite cool!... ;D

We should stick on a Chicago Astronomer logo on that and launch away!

[Maddad]

Naw man, that would block out the McDonals's logo.

[John Powell]

Were flying a few ML's (the rocket above) this summer. They will be deploying small inflated airships, (20 feet long), at peak altitude. We're gearing up at the shop to start molding parts.
The rocket is all composite.

and absolutely there will be video on board.

John

www.jpaerospace.com

[Rocketman]

Hopefully look down video...

What is the expected altitude? What method of deployment? CO2, Altimeter/BP? I've seen a lot of rocket videos, and 20,000 feet is about as high as I've seen recorded. It would be neat to see constant video from the ground to 100,000 feet. I'm almost sure that if the video was downlinked to a TV/VCR combo the quality would be poor (I wonder how NASA does it). A handheld camcorder would do the trick though.


I love rockets! Too bad it's damn expensive...

*rattles cup* ;D