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cageymaru
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According to a report, NASA officials are considering selling advertising rights for rockets and spacecraft. Astronauts might be permitted to appear in commercials and on cereal boxes. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine had this to say, "I'd like to see kids growing up, instead of maybe wanting to be like a professional sports star, I'd like to see them grow up wanting to be a NASA astronaut, or a NASA scientist," he said. "I'd like to see, maybe one day, NASA astronauts on the cover of a cereal box, embedded into the American culture."
Not all see this as a boon for the space agency. Scott Kelly, a former astronaut sees it as a big issue as there "would be a dramatic shift from the rules prohibiting government officials from using their public office for private gain." Another former astronaut is concerned that if Congress starts relying on funding for NASA missions coming from advertising, then lawmakers might balk at the government funding missions in the future. The current NASA rules package that explains advertising guidelines can be found here.
If NASA was able to loosen its restrictions, commercialization and branding could generate significant revenue. A study last year by the Science and Technology Policy Institute, a federally funded research and development center, found that a privately run space station could bring in between $455 million to $1.2 billion a year by participating in all sorts of commercial activities, including selling naming rights, allowing films to be shot in space, conducting research and hosting tourists.
Not all see this as a boon for the space agency. Scott Kelly, a former astronaut sees it as a big issue as there "would be a dramatic shift from the rules prohibiting government officials from using their public office for private gain." Another former astronaut is concerned that if Congress starts relying on funding for NASA missions coming from advertising, then lawmakers might balk at the government funding missions in the future. The current NASA rules package that explains advertising guidelines can be found here.
If NASA was able to loosen its restrictions, commercialization and branding could generate significant revenue. A study last year by the Science and Technology Policy Institute, a federally funded research and development center, found that a privately run space station could bring in between $455 million to $1.2 billion a year by participating in all sorts of commercial activities, including selling naming rights, allowing films to be shot in space, conducting research and hosting tourists.
