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Ah, Those Wacky Brits

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
March 7, 2008

First advert to be broadcast into space, University of Leicester

“The campaign to broadcast the first ever advert into space is launched today … On 12th June, the space-bound ad will be broadcast from a 500MHz Ultra High Frequency Radar from the EISCAT Space Centre in Svalbard, which lies in the Arctic Ocean about midway between northern Norway and the North Pole.”

Jodrell Bank fears funding loss, BBC

“Scientists at one of the world’s most advanced observatories are facing an uncertain future, with a closure threat hanging over its flagship project.”

UK astronomers to broadcast adverts to aliens, The Telegraph

“The cosmic stunt marks a small step for man, a giant leap for advertising hype and underlines the desperation of British astronomers to find new sources of funding as they struggle to cope with swingeing cuts that now threaten institutions such as Jodrell Bank, the world famous observatory in Cheshire.”

Editor’s note: Where do I start? I hate to break it the Brits, but the first advertisements “broadcast into space” were sent out nearly a century ago (didn’t you guys see “Contact”?). Second, if you are so concerned about the prospect of closure of your country’s radio telescope at Jodrell Bank, why not spend the money in the UK by mount a PR campaign, and send the message from Jodrell Bank – instead of going up to Svalbard?

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.