The SOAR project entails putting into orbit a Mylar ribbon of approximately 40,800 km length and, say, 20 m width then join both ends so it completely encircles the globe high enough to be out of the atmosphere. Impart a spin to it so the centrifugal force keeps it taut and in place.

We know have a new background for our worthy advertising companies to laser project their valuable messages at night for a reasonable fee to cover the costs of sending 6,500 tonnes of Mylar into space and getting it into position. Yay.
-- AusCan531, Mar 20 2015

Are you ribbon us?
-- normzone, Mar 23 2015


The thing will be unstable - you'll need constant tweaking to stop it all going terribly wrong.

Any minor disturbance would cause the ring's centre to move, until part of it collapsed onto the earth's surface; the rest of it would then pile on top like loo roll falling off a roll.

You could wind up with Wales covered in Mylar, but there could also be adverse effects.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 23 2015


Thus the shadow squares and rocket motor mounts, off of which some damned fool(s) will steal the rocket motors.

Sorry, having a Larry Niven flashback moment there...
-- normzone, Mar 23 2015


// it would then pile on top like loo roll falling off a roll.//

That alone would be worth the price of admission.
-- AusCan531, Mar 24 2015


I guess this is one of those cases that I have to specify that my neutral vote is the result of combined emphatic votes both for and against.
-- lurch, Mar 24 2015


Truth be told, I don't really care about the advertising bit, but was just wondering about a reflective ribbon encircling the globe about the drag of the atmosphere then given a big spin to keep it taut. [MB] is probably quite right about instability although never-ending harmonic vibrations might be neat to see.
-- AusCan531, Mar 24 2015


The numbers look fishy. 20 m wide? The ribbon would be like 1/50th the apparent size of the moon.
-- the porpoise, Mar 24 2015


I think you'd need to make it a bit longer (41,000km) to get it into lower Earth orbit (160km).

It will be only a pixel width with the naked eye, so the advertising would be limited to a line of colours.

As long as it is kept spinning at orbital velocity I don't think instability will be an insurmountable problem.
-- xaviergisz, Mar 24 2015


The solution here is fairly simple.

Run the ribbon over the poles, and fill it with LEDs. As the earth rotates, you'll be able to use persistence of vision to display a wide swathe.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 24 2015


// As long as it is kept spinning at orbital velocity I don't think instability will be an insurmountable problem.

Sure sure, let us know when _you_ get the giant Mylar ribbon going at Mach 21, and then _I_ will show you the blueprints for the stabilizing doodad.
-- the porpoise, Mar 24 2015


[lurch], my vote is the same. That inspires an idea…
-- notexactly, Mar 25 2015



random, halfbakery