Russian Companies Aim to Transform Night Sky into Advertising Space

Moscow, August 5, 2025 – Two Russian startups, Avant Space and StartRocket, are pioneering a controversial new frontier in advertising by developing technologies to project massive billboards into the night sky using satellites.

NBC News

These ambitious projects aim to turn low-Earth orbit into a canvas for corporate logos, QR codes, and promotional messages, sparking both fascination and fierce opposition from astronomers and dark-sky advocates.

Avant Space, a Moscow-based company, made headlines in April 2024 when it successfully launched what it described as the “first space media satellite” into orbit. This prototype satellite, equipped with laser-based technology patented in 2020, is a precursor to a planned fleet of 200 to 400 small, low-cost CubeSats. These satellites, orbiting approximately 370 miles above Earth, would use lasers to project advertisements visible to the naked eye during dawn and dusk over major cities. According to Avant Space, the system would allow clients to control satellite displays via a mobile app, enabling brief, customizable projections like a “light your own star” feature for brands. A promotional video showcased mock-ups of logos from companies like Apple and Rolls-Royce illuminating the skies above cities like London.

StartRocket, another Russian startup, has been developing a similar concept since 2019, initially gaining attention for its “Orbital Display” project. This initiative involves deploying arrays of CubeSats, each fitted with reflective Mylar sails about 30 feet in diameter, to create pixelated displays by reflecting sunlight. The company claims these billboards, spanning up to 50 square kilometers, could be visible globally at twilight, displaying ads for up to six minutes at a time. StartRocket briefly partnered with PepsiCo in 2019 for a test campaign promoting an energy drink, though the project was shelved after public backlash. Vlad Sitnikov, StartRocket’s project leader, remains undeterred, arguing that space advertising is inevitable and aligns with humanity’s commercial instincts. “We are ruled by brands and events,” Sitnikov told Futurism in 2019. “Space is not just for scientists—it’s for entertainment too.”

The economic case for space advertising is compelling. A 2022 study by researchers from Skoltech and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology estimated that a single mission could cost $65 million, a relatively low price given the potential to reach billions of viewers. The startups argue that their displays, limited to urban areas with existing light pollution, would minimize interference with astronomical observations. However, the scientific community strongly disagrees.

Astronomers, led by figures like John Barentine of the American Astronomical Society, warn that these satellites could exacerbate light pollution and disrupt ground-based telescopes. The reflective sails or laser projections, with brightness comparable to Iridium satellites (around -8 magnitude), could interfere with photon collection from distant celestial objects. “Every moving blip of light in the night sky is a threat to astronomical research,” Barentine told Astronomy.com in 2019. The American Astronomical Society has called for a global ban on obtrusive space advertising, citing a U.S. law from 2000 that prohibits such activities from American soil. However, international regulations remain lax, allowing Russian companies to exploit this gap.

Critics also highlight the risk of space debris. With over 39,000 pieces of debris already in low-Earth orbit alongside thousands of active satellites, adding advertising constellations could increase collision risks, potentially triggering Kessler Syndrome—a cascading chain reaction of satellite collisions. Despite these concerns, Avant Space and StartRocket press forward, with plans to scale their operations by the decade’s end. As Sitnikov told Scientific American in 2025, “Where there is humanity, there will be advertisements—we want to be the first.”

The debate over space advertising underscores a broader tension between commercial innovation and the preservation of the night sky. While these Russian startups envision a future where brands light up the heavens, opponents argue that the cosmos should remain a shared, unspoiled resource for all humanity.

Connect with Us