Nike Space Force 1! Moon rover launching in 2026 will offer brands the opportunity to advertise their products on the lunar surface

Sci-fi stories have long depicted human settlements on the moon as filled with glitzy advertisements and bright neon signs.

For example, in the 2019 film ‘Ad Astra’, a moon colony is peppered with logos of major brands such as Virgin, Apple and Atico.

Now it looks like two companies are about to take a big step in advertising by making it a reality in just a few years.

Californian startup Astrolab has signed a deal with a creative agency called Group of Humans to offer brands the chance to advertise on the moon.

Astrolab aims to send its ‘Flex’ rover to the moon in 2026, although it’s unclear how exactly the moon buggy would be involved in flogging the latest products.

Advertisements could potentially appear on the side of the buggy, which is designed to transport people and materials around the moon.

Rob Noble, founder of Group of Humans, explained the times that brands in sectors such as telecommunications, construction and the arts could benefit from moon ads.

The company has developed a ‘moon charter’ that all participating brands must sign, which establishes a commitment to the ‘improvement of life on Earth’.

“Brands can really differentiate themselves if they put themselves in a situation where there is no atmosphere and gravity is limited,” Mr Noble said.

‘You expose your products to all kinds of extremes, so you learn and at the same time prove to the consumer that it is really strong.’

The idea of ​​product placement during space travel is nothing new, he pointed out.

For example, during the Apollo missions of the 1960s, Omega’s Speedmaster wristwatch was an official part of every astronaut’s equipment.

And NASA is working with Prada to design spacesuits that astronauts can wear to the moon during the Artemis III mission.

But Noble ruled out any “stunt” similar to the recent failed Peregrine One mission to the moon, which carried the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.

Unfortunately, Peregrine One burned up in Earth’s atmosphere without reaching the lunar surface, meaning Roddenberry’s remains were lost.

“It’s not about some bullshit stunts to send in Star Trek leftovers,” he said.

“We are focused on ensuring that the moon’s resources are cared for and conserved.

‘It’s about really thinking and realizing that this is going to be very important for humanity.

‘We want to find the companies that really want to change the world.’

Astrolab made headlines a few years ago when it unveiled a prototype for its Flex rover that would allow humans to quickly fly around the moon’s surface.

The buggy can also crouch and lift loads up from the lunar soil, before carrying them under its belly and dropping the load off at a desired location.

Astrolab plans to assemble a fleet of its rovers in the coming years in an effort to become “the UPS, FedEx and the Uber of the moon.”

The full-scale prototype completed a test run in the California desert near Death Valley, a surface on Earth most similar to the dusty surface of the moon.

Elon Musk’s company SpaceX will transport the first Flex rover to the moon in mid-2026, the same year NASA plans to put humans on the moon again.

Ultimately, Flex will be one of perhaps hundreds of private companies that have developed equipment to maintain a permanent lunar base.

Ultimately, NASA plans to have a base camp set up in the southern lunar region by the end of this decade as part of its Artemis program.

The group of people website is currently calling on interested companies to contact us.

It reads: ‘Our mission with Astrolab’s Flex rover in 2026 is not just a trip to the moon; it is a leap forward for science, culture and civilization itself.

‘We’re asking a handful of the world’s most responsible and iconic brands to help create a new frontier in communications, product innovation and ethos.’