"This will be the first effort by Japan to shoot a TV commercial in space," Dentsu said in a release.

"By broadcasting the Pocari Sweat commercial shot in space, Dentsu hopes to provide an example of the commercial application possibilities presented by outer space," it said.

Two Russian astronauts, Captain Viktor Afanasiev, and flight engineer Konstantin Kozeev, are to blast off Sunday from Kazakhstan in a Soyuz TM-33 rocket with a supply of the popular beverage on board.

They are to film and act in the shoot.

Dentsu has received permission to use a High-Definition TV camera and tapes owned by Japan's National Space Development agency (NASDA), which is installed in the Russian module of the station, for 50 minutes of shooting.

NASDA said Dentsu's free use of the tapes and camera, which it paid the Russians to take up, along with a small amount of unused weight allowance the agency has contracted from Russian launchers, are the extent of its financial contribution to the project.

NASDA spokesman Yoichi Fujita said the agency is actively studying the diverse, and sometimes commercial use, of Japan's Kibo experimental module onboard the station.

"ISS is mostly understood as a place to perform physics and chemistry experiments, but that's not the only thing it can be used for," said Fujita.

"We are studying various ways it can be used, so if there's a commercial shot there, we think that's all right," he said.

The commercial is expected to air next January.

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