Marketing is about to be taken to new heights…all the way to the edge of space.

Actually, it's a research mission carrying student experiments. However, ads make it all possible.

"If it's good enough for sports teams, it's good enough for science teams," proclaims John Powell, President of JP Aerospace.

These "ads at the edge of the world" are on a platform carried aloft by high altitude weather balloons. During the flight on board, cameras take pictures of the ads with the blackness of space and the curvature of the Earth in the background. In the past, weather balloons have conjured up images of UFOs; now, images of commerce are being created. After the balloons reach 100,000 feet, they are released, and the platform descends to Earth by parachute. The mission, called Away 27, is the eighty-seventh for JP Aerospace. JP Aerospace is an independent space program staffed by volunteers dedicated to bringing space travel to everyone.

On board will be over 1,000 individual student experiments. These student science projects are called PongSats®, for "ping pong ball satellite." A PongSat is an experiment that fits inside of a ping pong ball.  Students as young as six are running their own space programs. Experiments range from plant seeds to computers with sophisticated sensors. For several months, students from all over the country have been mailing their PongSats to JP Aerospace for this mission. Even the youngest of students can be space scientists, flying real missions to a place where few "real" scientists get to go. JP Aerospace has flown over 1800 PongSats involving thousands of students.

After landing, the PongSats are returned to the students. The students then inspect their experiments and study the results. PongSat is a completely free program for schools and individuals.

Marketing in space has been done, but it can cost millions of dollars and take years to accomplish.  Now, for $100, even the local coffee shop can get dramatic marketing images.

"The images are more stunning than the Taco Bell® dog and a lot cheaper too," says Powell.

Customers can use the images in their advertisements, corporate reports and web sites. Or for individuals, birthday greetings from the edge of space!

More information and pictures available at www.jpaerospace.com.