"Scott Hedrick" wrote in message ...
"Henry Spencer" wrote in message
...
There was even an early-70s proposal to commercially finance a final
Apollo mission, although it didn't get very far, at least partly because
NASA's reaction was total hostility.

Which it would still be, but they'd do it, because now they wouldn't get
funds any other way.

Why aren't we selling advertising on our birds?


Who would see it? On the other hand, if you were to provide
something people do want to see, like their neighborhood, city and
faraway places from a new perspective, down to a resolution of 15ft or
so, you might have space to sell.
Several 10cm (4in) telescopes attatched to a boom on the ISS might
be worth more than three times their weight in gold, which is what it
would cost to build, launch and install. Two or three motorized pan
telecameras, for the cost of a one minute spot during the super bowl.
It would be a boon for NASA as well, which should make the
administration amenable to the idea.
It gives the notion of "space available" a whole earth of new
meaning.

Stephen Kearney