Japanese sports drink company Otsuka has unveiled plans to run what will be the first advertisement on the moon with plans to launch a 2 lb can with the company logo 239,000 miles into space, where it will land on the dark side of the moon, a region turned away from the Earth. The can is to be delivered by Astrobotic, an American private company whose primary projects consist of removing jettison from space – sometimes charging up to $500,000 for their services.
In addition to bearing the logo, this canister will also contain the popular Japanese drink Pocari Sweet in a powdered form. Inscribed on the inside of the can will be inspirational wishes written by 38,000 children from across the Asian continent. The trip is estimated to take four days to reach the moon, and the can is built to endure the extreme swings of high and low temperatures, as well as the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun. This project is a joint effort between the Astrobotic Technology firm, Astroscale, which is a space technology facility based in Singapore, and Otsuka.
The can’s arrival will be anticipated by the Astrobotic’s commissioned Griffin lander, which is scheduled to receive the can and transport it to the Lacus Mortis, the Lake of Death, placing it on the ground. The cost for this advertising campaign is yet to be revealed by Otsuka, but is safely near an astronomical number. The beverage company claims to have been inspired by the discovery of water on the moon, and to send out the message that one day people will be able to live on its surface.
