Feeling romantic? Send a love letter -- into space

$Japan\'s space development company Astro Research Corporation president Mitsuteru Sugiki displays a trial product of the persona$

Once upon a time it was a letter in a bottle. Now a Japanese company is offering the chance to buy a personal satellite to launch a love letter or personal treasures into space.

For a mere 100 million yen (880,000 dollars), you can now buy a small satellite to orbit the earth at an altitude of about 600-800 kilometers (372-496 miles), said Astro Research Corp., a space development company.

"Until now, a satellite was something ordinary people could not afford to buy," company executive Ichiro Koike told a press conference Thursday.

"But space has always been mysterious and pure. That is why people feel romantic about it," he said, suggesting a husband might send a love letter into space in the capsule instead of buying expensive jewelry.

The 20 kilogram (44 pounds) satellite contains a smaller cubic box made of aluminum alloy to protect the personal objects -- until the satellite falls and burns out in the atmosphere after about 20 or 30 years in orbit.