51 USC § 50911 - Space advertising

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t51/s50911"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "51 USC § 50911 - Space advertising"
title_number: 51
title_name: "NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS"
section_number: "50911"
section_name: "Space advertising"
chapter_number: 509
chapter_name: "COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH ACTIVITIES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 106–391, title III, § 322(b), Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1598, § 70109a of title 49; renumbered § 70109a then § 50911 of title 51, Pub. L. 111–314, § 4(d)(2), (3)(K), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440, 3441.)"
---


# § 50911. Space advertising

**(a)** **Licensing.—** Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter or any other provision of law, the Secretary may not, for the launch of a payload containing any material to be used for the purposes of obtrusive space advertising—

**(1)** issue or transfer a license under this chapter; or

**(2)** waive the license requirements of this chapter.

**(b)** **Launching.—** No holder of a license under this chapter may launch a payload containing any material to be used for purposes of obtrusive space advertising.

**(c)** **Commercial Space Advertising.—** Nothing in this section shall apply to nonobtrusive commercial space advertising, including advertising on—

**(1)** commercial space transportation vehicles;

**(2)** space infrastructure payloads;

**(3)** space launch facilities; and

**(4)** launch support facilities.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 106–391, title III, § 322(b), Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1598, § 70109a of title 49; renumbered § 70109a then § 50911 of title 51, Pub. L. 111–314, § 4(d)(2), (3)(K), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440, 3441.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2010— successively renumbered  and  as this section.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Negotiation With Foreign Launching Nations

> **“(1)** The President is requested to negotiate with foreign launching nations for the purpose of reaching one or more agreements that prohibit the use of outer space for obtrusive space advertising purposes.
> 
> **“(2)** It is the sense of the Congress that the President should take such action as is appropriate and feasible to enforce the terms of any agreement to prohibit the use of outer space for obtrusive space advertising purposes.
> 
> **“(3)** As used in this subsection, the term ‘foreign launching nation’ means a nation—
> 
> **“(A)** that launches, or procures the launching of, a payload into outer space; or
> 
> **“(B)** from the territory or facility of which a payload is launched into outer space.”

, , , provided that: