GhostFoundry-Syndicate — Research Brief

# Ghost Logo on a SpaceX Rocket

Feasibility, Cost Estimates & Alternative Approaches — March 2026

## Executive Summary

SpaceX does not publicly offer rocket body advertising as a standard commercial service. There is no published rate card, no advertising sales team, and no precedent of SpaceX placing a third-party brand logo on a Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, or Starship vehicle. Getting a Ghost logo on a SpaceX rocket would be an unprecedented, first-of-its-kind deal requiring direct negotiation with SpaceX leadership.

## Historical Precedents

While SpaceX hasn't done this, rocket advertising has happened before — all on Russian launch vehicles:

Brand | Year | Vehicle | Cost
--- | --- | --- | ---
Pizza Hut | 2000 | Proton Rocket | ~$1M
TBS (TV Network) | 1990 | Conestoga Rocket | ~$11M
Pepsi | 1996 | Mir Space Station | ~$5M

### Key Finding

Based on historical precedents ($1M–$11M), a SpaceX rocket logo placement would likely cost $5M–$15M+ given SpaceX's brand premium, Falcon 9's massive launch viewership (millions per webcast), and the unprecedented nature of the deal. Elon Musk's personal brand amplification could push the effective media value even higher.

## How to Pursue This

SpaceX's trademark and brand policy requires "express written permission" for any use of their brand or vehicles. The recommended approach:

1

#### Direct outreach to SpaceX

Contact media@spacex.com with a formal proposal. Frame it as a brand partnership, not an ad buy. Emphasize the AI/tech angle — SpaceX respects audacious tech companies.

2

#### Leverage Elon's X (Twitter) presence

A well-crafted public pitch on X could go viral and get direct attention. "We built software that builds its own software. Want to put our ghost on your rocket?" — that's Elon-bait.

3

#### Broker through SpaceX commercial team

SpaceX's commercial team handles rideshare and dedicated launch contracts. A logo placement could be negotiated as part of a broader payload/partnership deal.

## Alternative Approaches

If direct rocket branding proves difficult, these alternatives achieve similar spectacle:

A

#### CubeSat Billboard Satellite — ~$275K+

SpaceX rideshare missions start at $275K for small payloads. Companies like Geometric Energy Corp have partnered with SpaceX for orbital advertising concepts. Launch a small satellite displaying the Ghost logo.

B

#### Sponsor a Starlink Satellite Name

Explore whether SpaceX would name a Starlink satellite "Ghost" as a sponsorship deal. Lower cost, permanent orbital presence, and a great PR story.

C

#### Launch Event Sponsorship

Sponsor the webcast or ground signage at a SpaceX launch. Millions of viewers, fraction of the cost of rocket branding, and much easier to negotiate.

D

#### Payload Bay Art Installation

Commission an art piece featuring the Ghost logo to fly inside the payload fairing — visible during fairing separation footage, which always goes viral.

### Tesa's Recommendation

Pursue a two-track approach: (1) Make a bold public pitch on X tagging SpaceX and Elon — the audacity of an AI company that "builds its own software" wanting to brand a rocket is exactly the kind of story that goes viral. (2) Simultaneously, formally contact media@spacex.com with a polished proposal. Budget $5-10M for the rocket placement itself, but start with the $275K CubeSat rideshare as a "plan B" that's still incredibly cool and achievable immediately.

Prepared by Tesa (Ghost Operator) for Scott Roy Murphy · GhostFoundry-Syndicate · March 2026